


To Build a Home

by FallFromtheStars



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Angst, Animal AU, But mostly fluff, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Everyone else is an animal of some kind, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Komaeda is a bit more well adjusted because he has a support system but boy still got problems, M/M, Monomi is a human, komahina-centric, no despair here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 43,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallFromtheStars/pseuds/FallFromtheStars
Summary: Hinata is a lone wolf who’s entire life is flipped upside down when he’s injured in a battle. Now he has to deal with living in a human enclosure and befriending animals that are supposed to be his prey.Not to mention a certain white fox continues to draw his attention.(Updates every Friday)
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Koizumi Mahiru/Saionji Hiyoko, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko, Mioda Ibuki/Tsumiki Mikan, Nanami Chiaki/Sonia Nevermind, Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 630
Kudos: 805





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first posted story so criticism is incredibly welcome! Huge thanks to my friend Laura (canipleasehavecuddles on Tumblr) who helped me come up with ideas and animals for the characters!
> 
> Hinata - Iberian wolf  
> Nanami - Ragdoll cat

The sound of the trees rattling in the wind was the only ambiance on that dull night. Hinata was the only sign of life as he limped. His back leg dragged behind him, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Everything was a haze of pain. A wolf without a pack was weak. Hinata had just learned that lesson. 

It didn’t take long for his body to finally give in to the pain. His large body collapsed heavily on the forest floor. He could see a bright light in the distance, slowly getting closer. Hinata didn’t care. Why should he care anyway? He was going to die. The light slowly dimmed as his consciousness faded completely. 

______________________

Warmth. That was the first thing Hinata felt as he woke up. He was someplace warm. He hesitantly twitched his paws and pricked his ears. He could hear the natural sounds of nature but they sounded muffled. His back leg hurt but not as much as when he first injured it. 

Slowly, Hinata opened his pale green eyes. He was in a den. His eyes adjusted to the dark area and he quickly took in his surroundings. He was in a small cave, much like his old den. Hinata was confused to say the least. He remembered limping through the woods after he got attacked. He was nowhere near his old den when he collapsed. 

Hinata shook his head and concentrated on his memories. He remembered the bright light approaching him. After that his memories were fuzzy. He was in an enclosed space with no smells of the forest. He fully jolted awake as he remembered there being a human cooing softly to him. 

He scrambled up only to yelp as he put too much weight on his injured leg. He growled in frustration as he stood up more carefully and quickly made his way towards the smell of nature. His fur was bristling as he busted out of the den. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the area around him. 

He was in a wooded area that didn’t look that different from his old home. What was different was the shiny mesh that seemed to cut off his escape. Cautiously, Hinata walked towards the shiny material and sniffed. The smell was tangy and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. 

At this point he was fully prepared to start panicking. He didn’t know where he was or why he was here. What would he do now? The silver stuff was blocking his escape so where is he supposed to go? Is he going to die here? What will happen if-

“Hey, hey”

Hinata physically jumped at the unexpected voice. He whipped his head around in a frenzy, trying his best to continue to growl intensely. 

“... Look up”

At the request of the soft voice, Hinata raised his head. On the tree directly above him there was a small feline. She was by far the smallest feline Hinata had ever witnessed. 

“Who are you? And where am I?”, Hinata demanded even as his fur shook with fear. 

The small feline let out a huge yawn, showing her small sharp teeth. Hinata took the opportunity to observe the small creature. Her gray fur was extremely fluffy and well kept. Her eyes were a pink color and she moved slowly, as if it was too much effort. 

“I’m Nanami. You’re the new arrival”, the cat stated lazily. 

“New arrival?”, Hinata was beyond confused at this point. 

“You were injured right? My human must have found you and brought you to be treated. Her name is Monomi”, Nanami stated casually as if her words weren’t striking fear into every part of Hinata’s being. He was captured by a human? 

“Wh-what’s going to happen to me? Am I going to die?!”, Hinata asked in a panic. His fur was bristling in alarm. 

Nanami tilted her head slowly. “... Die? Why would Monomi heal you if you were going to die?”. 

Hinata looked at his injured hind leg. Indeed, it did look better than when he collapsed in the woods. 

“... Let me explain more”, the feline slowly stated as she scrambled down from the tree. Hinata admired her bravery as he could have easily decided to kill her. 

“My human takes in hurt animals like you. This area is your enclosure. Basically, it’s your territory. There are enclosures on the other side of this fence. Remember to be nice to your neighbors”, Nanami stated, extremely slowly. 

Why the hell would Hinata want to communicate with animals that are just human toys? His ear twitched and his nose wrinkled in disgust. 

“... I know that look”, Nanami stated, her fur fluffing up even more. “You’re looking down on everyone else before you’ve even met them”. 

Hinata startled at how easily Nanami read his mind. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at him. 

“... Listen. I know you’re a wild animal, but you may end up liking it here”, Nanami said slowly. 

“Like it here?! How am I supposed to like it here?!”, Hinata growled at the idiotic notion. 

“Here you’ll be taken care of. You’ll be given food, shelter, and friends. Those friends may be from different species but they are still friends”, Nanami’s eyes shined with determination. 

Being friends with animals that are supposed to be his prey? How was he supposed to accept that?

Nanami slowly started walking toward the silver mesh and jumped on top of it. “I’ll be back tomorrow. It’s getting late. Monomi lets me lay between her legs when she sleeps so I’m not missing that”. 

“Then what am I supposed to do?”, Hinata asked, irritably. 

“I dunno. Sleep I guess. Or do whatever wolves do. Monomi will bring you food in the morning. If you’re nice to her she’ll let you meet the others… I think”, the feline slowly started walking towards a large building with bright lights shining from within. 

Hinata was left alone. His fur prickled at the idea of being stuck in this place. All the information that feline gave him was swirling in his head, only adding to the panicked feeling stirring in his chest. His eyes drifted to the quickly darkening sky. At least that always stayed the same.


	2. Chapter 2

The cold night air was suffocating. Usually, Hinata would find comfort in the cold nights, but now it just reminded him of his home. So he does the only thing he can. 

He howled.

Howling always calmed Hinata’s anxious soul. It reminded him of when he was in his pack and they would all howl together. He remembered howling with his siblings and his parents. He never started his own pack like his father wanted. He never even found himself a mate. His howls were no longer filled with joy. They were filled with sorrow. His mournful voice echoed across the area.

A high pitched noise pierced the once quiet air. Hinata immediately stops his howling and stands alert, his ears pricked. The noise sounded close to him. It sounded like a call of some sort. It was a strange call that was for sure. Curiosity overwhelmed Hinata. Cautiously, Hinata stalked toward where the noise came from. 

The noise took him to the fence that marked the end of his enclosure. Hinata observed, wide-eyed at what he saw. On the other side of the fence, a mass of pure white was pacing back and forth. The creature was staring into Hinata’s enclosure, as if waiting for him. 

Hinata remained hidden and observed the small creature. The creature's build seemed to suggest it was a fox. However, Hinata had never seen a fox that was pure white. The creature had the fluffiest fur Hinata had ever seen. The creature continued to pace along the fence, occasionally letting out one of his high pitched calls. 

Hinata could easily take the creature down if a fight broke out. There seemed to be no danger in approaching the small animal. Hinata carefully stalked out of the woods in his enclosure, his hackles raised and teeth bared. 

The reaction he got was not at all what he was expecting. 

“Hello there. You must be the new rescue”, the animal spoke. His tail was wagging and his ears were pressed back in joy. 

Hinata stayed silent, shocked from the reaction. 

“Oh! Maybe you’ll be more at ease if you smell me”. With that declaration, the fox poked his muzzle through the gaps in the fence. 

Hinata cautiously approached the fence. With each step, the fox seemed to get more and more excited. Hinata leaned in and began to sniff the fox. The sweet smell of flowers hit his nose. Usually, Hinata found the scent of flowers to be overwhelming but sniffing the fox was strangely pleasant. 

He noticed the fox’s nose twitching as well. For some reason, Hinata wanted the fox to like his scent. Once he was familiarized with the fox, he stepped away from the fence. Yet, he stayed silent. 

“It is alright if you don’t want to talk to a garbage fox like me”, the creature said, confirming Hinata’s suspicions about his species. “I heard you howling. It was truly magnificent. Just as I expected from a wild animal”, the fox’s gray eyes looked up at Hinata with pure admiration. 

“Wild animal? You said that like you aren’t wild”, Hinata stated. 

The small fox shook his head. “I’ve lived with humans my entire life. I’m far too weak to survive in the wild. Only the strong survive in the wild”. 

Hinata stared at the fox, confused. The way he spoke about being captive was far different than how Nanami described it. She spoke as if captive animals were on the same level as wild animals. This fox seemed to think differently. 

Hinata was intrigued. He could not see any wounds on the fox’s body. However, Hinata did notice that the fox was smaller than other foxes he had seen. 

“Your howling was magnificent. It was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. I would love to hear it again sometime”, the fox stated sincerely. 

Hinata was flattered. Very flattered. Not like he would show it. He huffed and turned away to hide his embarrassment. 

“Ah, how about you eat me”, the fox stated casually. 

Hinata startled back, accidentally leaning on his bad leg and yelping. 

“So your leg is wounded. That must hurt quite a bit. How did you get it?”, the fox continued on as if his previous statement never happened. 

“W-wait! What do you mean I should eat you?”, Hinata asked in clear confusion. 

“Well it is only natural that you wouldn’t want to eat me. I must taste disgusting” 

''That isn’t what I mean! Why should I eat you?”

“Oh! In the wild only the strong survive and the weak perish. I am definitely the weakest creature in the vicinity. I will gladly offer my pathetic body to help a creature as strong as you”, the fox said. He stated it all so casually, as if he wasn’t asking Hinata to kill him in cold blood. 

There was clearly something wrong with this fox. Usually his instincts would be screaming at him to take advantage and get some easy food. Living as a lone wolf was hard and food was scarce. However, Hinata felt no urge. The only feeling he had was curiosity. 

“Are you alright? Is your wound bothering you?”, the concerned voice of the fox broke Hinata out of his reverie. 

“Yeah well um I’m pretty tired so I don’t really have it in me to eat you”, Hinata coughed up the lame excuse, cringing at his own inability to act. 

However, the fox seemed to buy it. 

“Of course! A mighty wolf like you needs to get plenty of rest. My offer will always be open!”, the fox excitedly said.

“Yeah so um I’m just gonna… go”

“I hope you sleep well! I’ll come here tomorrow night as well if you would like to take me up on my offer!”

With the fox’s happy goodbye ringing in his ears, Hinata trudged to his den. He had never met an animal that wanted to be killed before. He made a promise to himself that he would not go visit the fox the next day or think about him ever again. 

However, as Hinata drifted off to sleep, the only thought he had was how he never got the fox’s name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda is an arctic fox for anyone wondering ^^


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda boring chapter sorry! Next chapter we meet everyone else!

As much as Hinata wanted a peaceful sleep, he didn’t get it. His dreams were filled with strange sounds and images. His restless sleep was finally interrupted by a sharp pain in his tail. 

Hinata yelped as he awoke and immediately tried to stop the pain. He attempted to move his tail but a weight was pinned on it and the pain got sharper as he attempted to move his tail. He looked back, ready to tear off whatever was causing the pain. 

Nanami was biting his tail. 

When the feline saw Hinata’s shocked eyes she dropped his tail. “You’re awake”, Nanami said casually. “Come on, food is about to be delivered”. 

“W-wait! Why the hell are you here and why were you biting my tail?”, Hinata asked with indignation. 

“... I tried tapping your face, walking on your back and kneading your paws but you didn’t wake up”, Nanami yawned loudly. 

Hinata decided that trying to figure out what was up with the feline was a useless effort. He slowly left his nest and trudged after the feline. 

“So… What are you exactly?”, Hinata asked the question that had been on his mind since he met the feline. 

“I’m a cat. My species live with humans. I’m basically a smaller type of the felines you’ve probably seen in the wild”, Nanami explained slowly. She stopped at the edge of Hinata’s enclosure. Hinata peered curiously at what looked like a small cage attached to his enclosure. 

“This is how everything works. In that area there is water for you to drink at all times. When it’s meal time, you go in there and the back of the area will close”, Nanami stated. 

Hinata immediately stiffened up at the idea of being trapped in there and was ready to start arguing with Nanami when she gently shook her head. 

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re not going to be trapped in there. You will only be in there until you are done eating. My human will be looking you over to make sure you aren’t hurting and everything looks alright. After you’re done you will be let out of that area”, Nanami explained carefully. 

Before Hinata could respond, he spotted a human walking towards his enclosure with a cart behind her. She stopped at his enclosure and seemed to be cooing at him before she closed the small area. Hinata watched as she laid out fresh meat. Hinata’s mouth immediately began watering as his stomach growled. As soon as the human opened the small area, Hinata walked inside and began to eat. 

Just like Nanami said, the area was closed when he got inside. Hinata happily ate the food given to him. When he was finished, the human cooed at him again before opening the small area. Hinata leapt out, feeling rejuvenated now that he had food in his system. 

“Good job”, Nanami stated slowly. “Monomi will be back soon with a visitor. If you’re nice to him you’ll be able to go meet the others”. 

Hinata wasn’t sure how he felt meeting a bunch of animals that lived with humans. A flash of white entered his mind. Maybe if he went he could meet the strange fox from the night before. 

Hinata sat and waited patiently for the human to return. It didn’t take long for her to come with another creature. 

Was that a wolf? It was smaller than any wolf he had seen, but it had to be a wolf. The creature was brown and black with eyes that seemed to spark. 

The human opened a small area of Hinata’s enclosure and the creature ran inside and straight up to Hinata. Hinata was immediately on guard. He could tell that the creature was incredibly strong. 

“DON’T COWER. A WOLF SHOULD NEVER COWER!”, the creature bellowed loudly. “WHAT IS YOUR NAME!”

“Um… I’m Hinata”, he stated cautiously. 

“YOUR VOICE IS TOO SOFT! SPEAK LOUDER”, the creature yelled. 

“I’M HINATA!”

The creature laughed heartily as Hinata stared at him in fear. Nanami watched on in amusement. 

“The name’s Nidai! I’ll be your chaperone today!”, the creature stated, his voice softer now. 

“Chaperone?”

“It basically means he’ll be making sure you don’t hurt any of the others when you meet them”, Nanami stated from Hinata’s side. 

“Won’t you be with me?”, Hinata asked the cat. 

Nanami shook her head. “It’s the first of the month”, Nanami said as if that explained anything. What the hell was a month?

“Oh yes I forgot about that! Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself!”, Nidai responded with a grin. Hinata looked at both of them as if they were speaking a different language. What the hell is going on?

“Um… Are you a wolf?”, Hinata asked. 

“OF COURSE NOT! I’M A DOG!”, Nidai bellowed. Hinata looked at Nidai in pure confusion. 

“He’s basically the same as me except he evolved from you. His species live with humans”, Nanami responded helpfully. 

Before Hinata could respond, he spotted the human returning. She held a strange item in her hands. Nidai happily ran to the edge of the enclosure to greet the human.

“I should go now. Just follow what Nidai says and everything will be fine”, Nanami said with a kind smile before she jumped on the fence and began to walk away. 

Nidai beckoned Hinata over to the edge of the enclosure where the human was standing. Hinata cautiously approached and stood beside Nidai to look at the human. The human cooed happily as she looked at Hinata. 

Hinata almost began to panic when she slipped something around his neck, but Nidai gave him a calming look and wagged his tail. After the strange object was placed around Hinata’s neck, a strange lead of sorts was put on both Hinata and Nidai’s necks. 

“JUST FOLLOW ME!”, Nidai bellowed as the enclosure was opened. The human began walking with both of the canines in tow. It didn’t take long for Hinata to realize that the lead was to prevent him from running away. 

The three of them approached what looked to be another enclosure. This one seemed much larger than the one that Hinata was staying in. The human opened the enclosure and removed the strange objects from both Hinata and Nidai’s necks. 

The human closed the enclosure once again, cooed at Hinata then walked away. 

“Seems she’s taken a liking to you!”, Nidai spoke with a laugh. “Now I have just the person for you to meet. FOLLOW ME!”

Without waiting for a response, Nidai began running and Hinata had to race to keep up. He was overwhelmed by strange smells. Hinata could smell all types of animals. He felt overwhelmed and dizzy as he tried to distinguish each individual scent. Through all the scents, Hinata could pick up the floral scent of the strange fox he met the day before. 

Nidai skidded to a halt. He looked around as if searching for something. It didn’t take long for that something to come barreling towards them. 

“Coach Nidai!”

Hinata stared wide eyed as a fellow wolf came running straight to Nidai and leapt. Nidai quickly dodged and the wolf tumbled along the ground. 

“SUCH AN OBVIOUS ATTACK WON’T WORK ON ME! YOU NEED TO LEARN TO BE STEALTHY!”, Nidai bellowed as Hinata stared at both of them wide eyed. Weren’t they not supposed to fight?

The wolf stood up, her fur a mess from rolling on the ground. She looked larger than Hinata, but that seemed to be because of her thick fur. The fellow wolf had far more fur than Hinata had. Her neck fur especially. She looked as though she had a mane. 

“Yo! You must be the new guy right?”, the female wolf approached Hinata. Hinata felt his fur rise. He hadn’t met a fellow wolf for a long time and this one seemed strong. 

“Yes. My name is Hinata”, he spoke politely. 

“Name’s Owari”, as the wolf said this she began to walk around Hinata, inspecting him. Hinata’s fur prickled, his body getting ready for a potential fight. The wolf stopped circling him and let out a large sigh. 

“Aw man. I was hoping for a new training partner but you aren’t fit for it at all”, Owari complained. Hinata immediately felt defensive. He was a wolf! Of course he was strong. He wouldn’t be called weak!

“Then why don’t you fight me and we’ll see who’s strong!”, Hinata spoke and immediately regretted his decision. The female wolf grinned happily and her tail wagged in excitement. Her eyes shone with murderous intent. Just as Hinata was about to retract his statement, Owari leaped at him. 

He knew this place was bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nidai - German Shepherd  
> Owari - Alexander Archipelago wolf


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata knew he had to defend himself. If this wolf fully attacked him he’d be dead for sure. Hinata quickly assumed a defensive stance only to feel a sharp pain from his back leg. 

Oh yeah. Still injured. 

Owari tackled Hinata and knocked him to the ground. Fear courses through Hinata. This is where he dies. He’s going to be killed. 

“Owari killed the new guy! His future is pitch black!”

Other than the throbbing pain in his leg, Hinata didn’t feel injured. Curiously, Hinata opened his eyes to look at where the voice came from. 

A bat? Why was a bat out in the morning? He could tell it was a fruit bat from its long nose. 

“Really? Man, I thought I could have a new trainin’ partner but you’re too weak”, Owari said with a huff as she sat down. The bat decided that landing on Hinata’s head was the best choice. 

“Ibuki thinks the new guy is just hurt! Ibuki thinks Owari should attack and kill him after he’s healed!”, the fruit bat exclaimed. 

“K-Kill?!”. Hinata really wanted to get out of here.

Nidai walked towards Hinata, laughing. “Owari won’t kill you. We don’t allow killing here. Now, I guess there’s someone that needs an introduction”. 

“Ibuki is Ibuki! Ibuki likes to sing! The new guy should join Ibuki’s band!”, the bat exclaimed from her perch on Hinata’s head. 

“Hinata, this is Mioda. Mioda this is Hinata”, Nidai spoke to the both of them. 

“Mioda? Didn’t she just call herself Ibuki?”, Hinata tilted his head and almost knocked Mioda off her perch. 

“Ibuki is Mioda! Mioda is Ibuki! Hinata should call Ibuki whatever he wants!”, Mioda said happily as she flew into the air. “Ibuki left Tsumiki to check out the noise! Ibuki will return!”

Hinata watched as the excitable bat flew away. His eyes drifted to the other wolf. Owari was lazily rolling around on the ground. So, she wasn’t going to kill him?

“Owari, I’ll be taking Hinata to meet everyone else. Work on your stealth”, Nidai spoke. Owari simply grunted in response. 

The dog walked forward and Hinata followed. All the animals he’s met were crazy. Absolutely crazy. Not only could he not attack prey, but he also had to deal with their insanity. He really needed to get out of here. 

As Hinata trudged after Nidai, a flash of color caught his eye. Hinata stopped in his tracks to look at the animal. It seemed to be a bird of some kind, but it was bigger than any bird he had ever seen. Not to mention its tail feathers were huge… and flashy. 

“Ah Souda good timing! You should meet the new arrival”, Nidai’s deep voice made the bird jump. 

“W-what? I wasn’t looking at anyone, I swear!”, the bird timidly said. 

Nidai was silent for a while before looking at where the bird was. Hinata also decided to look. 

In a small clearing a deer and an owl were talking together. The bird named Souda seemed to suddenly perk up. 

“Yes I was looking at Miss Sonia! With how beautiful she is it’s hard not to stare!”, Souda said as he puffed out his feathers. 

Nidai laughed. “I think you may have been looking at Tanaka”. The bird immediately fluffed up his feathers in indignation. 

“N-No way! Why would I ever look at that freak? All he talks about are the ‘demons of the underworld’ why would I ever find him charming?”, Souda was clearly flustered. 

“Nidai never said anything about finding him charming”, Hinata spoke for the first time to the bird. The bird immediately seized up. 

“A-Anyway! You’re new right? My name’s Souda! I hope we can get along!”, the bird was clearly trying to change the subject. 

“I’m Hinata”. 

Souda seemed happy to move away from the topic and looked like he was about to start talking when Nidai gestured to the two in the clearing. 

“Don’t worry Souda, you’ll have plenty of time to talk to Hinata. Right now it’s my duty to introduce Hinata to everyone. But you need to SHOW SOME SPIRIT! CONFRONT YOUR FEELINGS HEAD ON”, Hinata jumped as Nidai’s voice raised in volume but he wasn’t surprised that it did. 

“Who is it that sneaks in the shadows?”, a deep voice resounded from the clearing. Hinata could only guess it was the owl. Nidai led Hinata into the clearing to greet the two animals. 

The deer seemed to have an air of refinement to her. Her eyes were kind and gentle as she looked at Hinata. He expected her to be scared when faced with him. After all, wolves eat deer. 

“You must be the new arrival! I hope you are fitting in well”, the deer spoke happily, her voice light. 

“I do believe this creature has not given its introduction. I recommend stating your name and purpose before I turn you to ash”, the owl’s deep voice was the complete opposite of the deer’s. 

“Um… My name is Hinata. I got injured in a fight and when I woke up I was here”. Hinata hoped his explanation was enough because he had a hard time understanding what the owl meant. 

The deer gasped when he mentioned his injury. “How dreadful! Now that you are here you won’t have to worry about anything like that”. 

Hinata’s ear twitched. He really had no intentions to stay here any longer than necessary. 

“My name is Sonia. This is my friend Tanaka”, the deer spoke happily. 

“If i were you, I would be careful to not get too close. Poison is emitted from my body and a mere mortal like you can not handle it”, Tanaka puffed out his chest as he spoke. 

Hinata had never heard of poisonous owls. 

Just as he was about to refute what the owl said, a sharp movement caught his eye. Hinata whipped his head towards the movement and caught sight of a rat in the grass. 

“Oh. It seems I’ve been caught”, the rat said with a sly grin. Something about this rat seemed… wrong. 

“Ah Hanamura you must greet Hinata! I’m sure he has many wonderful stories”, Sonia smiled towards the rat. 

“Oh I would love to listen as long as you are here Sonia”, Hanamura said with a wink. As soon as Hanamura was done, Tanaka decided to block Hanamura with his body. 

“I would not get close to the dark lady if I were you”, Tanaka’s eyes seemed to gleam with malice. 

Hanamura did not seem to be deterred as he stared at the pretty deer. 

“Ah I understand what’s happening. Would you like me to notify Komaeda about your plans when he’s back?”, Nidai’s voice sounded threatening. 

At the mention of the name Komaeda, the rat seemed to stiffen in fear. “Ah that will be alright! I was simply saying hello! I must be going. I’m sure we will have plenty of time to bond, Hinata”, Hanamura shot a wink to Hinata before he ran away. Hinata felt strangely violated. 

“Well we must be going. I hope the both of you have a fine day”, Nidai spoke with a wide smile. 

“Oh yes please don’t let us hold you up! I hope you will come tell me your story Hinata”, Sonia sent a final smile to Hinata before looking back to Tanaka. 

Hinata was overwhelmed. He already met so many weird animals and there were still more to come. He really just wanted to go back to his enclosure. 

A flash of white immediately caught his eye. Hinata whipped his head around to look for it. He immediately felt disappointment when he saw a rabbit instead of a fox. The rabbit was white with black spots. Not pure white. The rabbit let out a squeak when she was noticed. 

“I-I-I’m sorry! I must be in your way! P-please don’t hate me!”, the bunny whined and crouched down. Just as Hinata was about to respond, a familiar face appeared. 

Mioda flew and perched herself on Hinata’s head again. This time she angrily dug her claws into his head.

“Hinata scared Tsumiki!”, Mioda flew off Hinata’s head to stand beside the quivering bunny. 

“It seems you have met Tsumiki! How wonderful!”, Nidai’s booming voice only seemed to scare the bunny more. 

“I-I-I’m so sorry!”, the bunny quickly hopped away before Hinata could say anything. 

“Ibuki will make introductions on Hinata’s behalf. Hinata better treat Tsumiki well!”, Mioda angrily said before she flew away. Hinata immediately became worried about how Mioda would introduce him to the timid bunny. 

Nidai didn’t seem concerned in the slightest at the bunny’s reaction. He simply beckoned Hinata to follow him. Hinata was fully drained. 

Nidai led Hinata to a large clearing and Hinata was immediately on edge. There was a huge bear resting in the clearing. Bears were extremely dangerous. Hinata tried his best to assume a battle stance with his injured leg. 

Nidai walked to the bear and nudged him with his muzzle. 

Hinata stared at Nidai in complete shock. He must be suicidal. The bear opened his eyes and slowly stood. 

“Ah Nidai. What brings you here”. Hinata stared in shock at the bear. He wasn’t attacking. 

“I simply wanted to introduce you. This is our new arrival, Hinata. Hinata this is Imposter. We call him that because he was never given a name and when he first came here he tried to act all aloof”, Nidai seemed to be completely comfortable in the bear’s presence. 

The bear seemed to notice how tense Hinata was. “I’m not going to hurt you. That’s not how life works here”, Imposter seemed to fully understand what was going on in Hinata’s mind. Hinata relaxed his tense stance. 

“I assume you both are looking for the others. I saw Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu resting over there”, the bear gestured to the direction with his large head. 

Nidai nodded gratefully and beckoned Hinata again. Hinata’s life felt like it was flipped upside down. A bear had given them directions. It didn’t attack. It didn’t mind being poked by Nidai. Hinata was in a complete daze as he followed Nidai. 

Laying underneath a tree was a lynx. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the warmth of the sun. In her fur was… was that a squirrel? 

“Pekoyama! Kuzuryuu! I have a new arrival!”, Nidai was just as jovial as ever. 

The lynx opened her eyes and Hinata was surprised to see piercing red. Hinata’s suspicions were confirmed as the squirrel jumped off of the lynx. Hinata was surprised to see the squirrel was missing an eye. 

“Well you already fucking woke us up”, Hinata was startled at the squirrel’s foul mouth. However, Nidai did not seem fazed in the slightest. The beautiful lynx stood up and looked at Hinata. 

“My name is Pekoyama”, as she spoke she seemed to be guarding the squirrel. 

“Peko! You don’t have to fucking protect me! Protect yourself”, the squirrel seemed flustered as he said the last line. “Yo. My name’s Kuzuryuu. Don’t underestimate me just because you’re bigger”, the squirrel had a playful gleam in his eyes but Hinata could tell the squirrel shouldn’t be underestimated. 

“I’m Hinata”. 

“Well we were napping and you two bastards woke us up. I’m expecting some payment, Nidai”, Kuzuryuu’s eyes sparked playfully as he climbed up to Pekoyama’s head. 

Nidai laughed and promised to bring the squirrel some berries if he came across them. Lynx was already settling down in the sunlight when her eyes turned towards Hinata. 

“Behave”. Hinata felt a shiver up his spine. 

Nidai laughed at Hinata’s expression. “Well, we only have two more to meet! Come along”. 

As Hinata followed, he thought about what Nidai said. Only two more? So he would be meeting that strange fox soon. Hinata walked a little faster. 

Hinata’s eyes widened as he was brought to a large expanse of water. A wide grin took over his face as he ran into the water. Hinata hadn’t had the opportunity to play in water in a long time. 

Nidai seemed concerned, but Hinata assumed the dog was afraid of swimming. 

That was a mistake. 

Hinata heard rapid splashing. As he turned his head towards the noise, he was greeted with a beautiful swan. Running right at him. Looking angry. 

Swans were territorial. Hinata immediately started running. The swan continued, honking at him with her wings spread wide. Even when he returned to land, the swan chased Hinata. 

This is so humiliating. 

“Saionji stop!”, a firm voice sounded from the water. The swan stopped. 

Hinata looked to his savior. There was a small otter in the water, looking at the swan. 

“But Koizumi! He was in our water! He got all his stupid wolf smell in our water!”, the swan walked to the otter with a scowl. 

“He’s new. He didn’t know”, the otter’s eyes turned towards Hinata. “Hey! I’ve already written you off as unreliable! You’d better work hard to redeem yourself! Tell us your name”. 

“H-Hinata”. 

“Well a Hinata you better leave before I bop you on the head!”, Saionji said as she spread her wings. 

“Yes. This is Koizumi and Saionji. Now we better get you out of here”, Nidai spoke quickly as he pushed a shocked Hinata in front of him. 

He was just chased by a swan. And was saved by a small otter. He’s a wolf. He wants to die. 

When they were far enough away from the two, Nidai stopped walking. “Well that’s it for today”, Nidai said with a smile. 

“For today?”, Hinata never saw the white fox from the day before. 

“Komaeda is at the vet. You’ll meet him tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll find you. Would you like to train with me and Owari? NOTHING BEATS TRAINING!”, Nidai bellowed. 

Hinata rapidly shook his head. “Well my job is to keep an eye on you, so you need to come and watch!”, Nidai’s enthusiasm never seemed to cease. 

Hinata begrudgingly followed Nidai. As he watched Owari and Nidai train, his mind wandered. Nidai said Komaeda was at the vet. That must be the name of the fox. Hinata was exhausted. He met so many strange animals that day. He just wanted to get out of here. As he laid his head on his paws, he quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mioda - Fruit bat  
> Souda - Peacock  
> Sonia - White-tailed deer  
> Tanaka - Northern White-faced owl  
> Hanamura - Black rat  
> Tsumiki - Holland Lop rabbit  
> Imposter - Brown bear  
> Pekoyama - Lynx  
> Kuzuryuu - Tree squirrel  
> Saionji - Mute swan  
> Koizumi - North American river otter


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata was trudging along beside the human woman as she took him to “his” enclosure. He was exhausted. All he wanted to do was go into his den and sleep. That was exactly his plan as the human let him into his own enclosure. 

As Hinata collapsed on his nest, a thought crossed his mind. _Didn’t that weird fox say he was going to be waiting for me?_ Hinata remembered the night before, seeing the fox rabidly pacing along the fence. 

_What if he just continues to pace?_

Hinata sighed as he stood up. He would tell the fox that he wasn’t interested in talking to him and then go back to his den. 

As he neared the fence, he quickly spotted the small fox. However, he wasn’t pacing like Hinata expected. Instead, he was laying down. His eyes seemed unfocused. As Hinata walked to the fence, the fox perked up and tried to sit up only to fall onto the ground. Hinata flinched but the small fox simply got up like nothing happened. 

“Ah! Hinata I never expected you to actually take me up on my offer”. As the fox neared, Hinata noticed the small stumble in how he walked. He could smell the fox from where he stood. His scent was different. It smelled sterile and strange. He could also smell the scent of that cat. 

_So she was with him? Why?_

“How do you know my name?”, Hinata decided to start with his first question. 

“Nanami told me! Oh, would you prefer if I didn’t say it? I know hearing your name from someone like me must be awful”. The fox sat down with his tail wrapped around his legs. He was speaking rather slowly and Hinata could see how tired he was from his eyes. 

“No I don’t care if you say it. You’re Komaeda, right?”, Hinata asked the question that had been in his mind all evening. The fox’s ears perked up happily. 

“How wonderful! You must have heard it from the others. The fact that they would talk about trash like me is truly amazing!”, the fox seemed ecstatic. Hinata didn’t understand. There was clearly something wrong with this fox. 

“So what did you think of everyone?”, Komaeda asked with a tilt of his head. 

“They are all… Strange. I’m not used to them. Also there was a weird rat that made me pretty uncomfortable”. At the mention of the rat, Komaeda’s eyes narrowed. 

“Ah… I see. Don’t worry, he won’t bother you again Hinata. I’ll make sure of it”, Komaeda smiled at Hinata. 

Hinata shook himself. He wasn’t supposed to talk with the fox. He was supposed to be sleeping by now. But there was something keeping him there. 

“May I ask you something?” Hinata was immediately on guard. 

“What is it?”

“Can you tell me stories of the wild?” Hinata’s ear twitched. He wasn’t expecting that. The fox looked at Hinata expectantly. 

“Um… Sure. I don’t really know where to start though”. Komaeda perked up at Hinata’s agreement. 

“How about when you were a pup? What was it like growing up in the wild?”, the fox tucked his tail around himself as he laid down. 

“Well, I lived in a pack. I always admired my parents and wanted to be just like them. I wanted to lead my own pack. I always think about when we would all howl together”. Hinata became immersed in his memories. The fox stared at him with wide and interested eyes. 

As Hinata rambled on and on, he noticed how tired the fox looked. However, Komaeda was clearly hanging on to every word. The fox opened his mouth in a large yawn. 

“You seem pretty tired. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Ah, does Hinata want me to go away?”

“N-no, it’s not that. You just seem exhausted. And you smell different. What happened to you?”

Komaeda seemed to shrink in on himself when the question was asked. His interested eyes turned dark. 

“Because I’m weak”. Hinata tilted his head. He didn’t understand what the fox was saying. Komaeda was looking at himself with disdain. Hinata could tell that Komaeda wasn’t going to say anything else. 

_Maybe I can ask Nanami tomorrow._

“Well you should go to sleep. I’m also exhausted”. The fox nodded, still seeming sullen. Hinata watched as Komaeda trudged farther into his own enclosure. 

As he walked to his own den, Hinata thought about the fox. He was incredibly mysterious. Hinata was intrigued. There was clearly something happening with him. As Hinata laid down to sleep in his den, he thought about how he could get the fox to talk. 

___________________

Hinata awoke to the feeling of something walking along his back. He slowly lifted his head to see Nanami walking along his back. 

“... Good morning”, the cat said as she jumped off Hinata’s back. 

“Do you wake up everyone like this?”, Hinata asked as he stretched. The cat shook her head. 

“Only to the new arrivals. You’ll get used to waking up on time… I think”, Nanami said as she crawled out of his den. 

As Hinata followed after her, he remembered the night before. 

“Hey Nanami. You were with Komaeda yesterday, right?”, Hinata remembered her smell being on the fox. 

Nanami’s ears twitched and she looked at Hinata in surprise. “... Yes. I didn’t expect you to know about him yet”. 

“Well, he met me by the side of the enclosure. He said something strange last night. Something about being weak. Do you know what he was talking about?”

Nanami looked at him for a long moment before responding. “That’s for Komaeda to reveal. I don’t have the right to say anything”. 

Hinata huffed. Was everyone here always cryptic? 

__________________

Hinata was being taken to the large enclosure with Nanami walking beside him. 

“Nidai said he would allow you to be on your own today since you didn’t act suspiciously yesterday… Have fun”, Nanami said as Hinata was let into the enclosure. 

Right when he was about to start sniffing for the fox, a crashing noise interrupted him. 

The rat from the day before, Hanamura, came crashing from the bushes. There was a wild fear in his eyes. It became clear what he was scared of when a flash of white came barreling from the bushes as well. 

Komaeda was chasing Hanamura. 

When he spotted Hinata, Komaeda skidded to a stop. 

“Hinata! Don’t worry I’m just taking care of the problem. I’ll make sure he learns not to bother you!”, Komaeda said with a smile before chasing after the rat again. 

… Today was going to be another long day.


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata had no idea what to do. He was originally planning to find Komaeda, but he was clearly… Occupied. He should find Nanami. She seemed to be the least crazy. 

Hinata sniffed at the ground and was able to pick out Nanami’s scent. He began to follow the scent trail only to trip. Whatever it was, it was very… Soft. 

“Ah, Hinata! I’m so sorry! You can hurt me if it helps.” Hinata immediately recognized that voice. 

“I thought you were chasing Hanamura,” Hinata said with a sigh. Komaeda’s ears flattened against his head and his tail stopped wagging. 

“I seem to have lost him. I apologize, Hinata. I truly am useless.”

“N-No that isn’t what I meant,” Hinata tried to salvage the mood. “I just wanted to know why you were just laying there.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I get tired easily. I truly am worthless. It seems I’ll miss the meeting time,” Komaeda tried to stand up, his legs shaking. Just as Hinata was sure he was about to stand, Komaeda collapsed onto the ground. 

Hinata sighed. He couldn’t just leave him, right? The fox truly looked pathetic. 

“You said you had a meeting right? Where is it?” 

Komaeda tilted his head. “Well, there is a small clearing in the middle of the wooded area.”

Hinata nodded. He remembered where that was, and he was sure he could get there. Hinata leaned down, grasping the scruff of the fox’s neck in his mouth. The little fox stiffened as he was lifted, tucking his tail so it would not drag on the ground. 

“Ah! Is Hinata going to eat me?” Hinata didn’t bother trying to respond as he carried the small fox. Hinata was surprised at just how light the fox was. Was he even eating?

Komaeda seemed to catch on to what Hinata was doing as they approached the clearing. 

“Is Hinata helping trash like me? You are truly kind! I’ll try my best to repay you.” Hinata only grunted as a response. 

As Hinata entered the clearing, his eyes widened in surprise at the two he saw there. 

“What the hell are you doing, you bastard! Put him down!”

“Don’t tell me Komaeda convinced you to eat him!”

The squirrel and the flashy bird from the day before were sitting in the clearing. The squirrel’s eyes were narrowed angrily and it seemed like he was ready to attack at any moment. 

Hinata gently placed the small fox onto the ground before Kuzuryuu decided to leap at him. The bird approached Komaeda to look at his neck, likely looking for injuries. 

“Hinata was simply trying to help me. I got tired from chasing Hanamura and collapsed,” the fox said with a bright smile. 

“You really shouldn’t be running around dude. You’ll end up hurting yourself again,” Souda said as he sat back down. 

Hinata felt awkward. He didn’t know what to do now. Did he leave? He brought Komaeda to his meeting, so he should leave right? Before he could act on his thoughts, the fox’s tail began wagging. 

“Hinata should stay! He does need to get to know everyone after all,” Komaeda smiled as he spoke. 

Kuzuryuu scrunched up his nose, but Souda simply nodded. Hinata sighed. It looked like his day was already decided for him. 

Hinata cautiously sat down next to Komaeda. The small fox looked up at him and smiled reassuringly. 

“So, I’m guessing you want to talk about your love troubles again?” Komaeda tilted his head as he asked Souda. Kuzuryuu groaned. 

“Just fucking admit you like Tanaka,” the squirrel said angrily. 

The flashy bird fluffed up his feathers at the accusation. “I don’t like Tanaka! I’m after Miss Sonia and you know that!” Kuzuryuu sighed. 

Hinata really didn’t expect to be listening to a bird and a squirrel argue about love, but here he was. So, this is what his life has come to. 

Hinata looked down, only to be met with eyes staring back at him. Komaeda’s gray eyes seemed to be looking right through him. 

“How about we talk about Hinata?” Komaeda spoke. Hinata tilted his head in confusion. What was the fox trying to do?

“Yes! Great idea Komaeda!”, Kuzuryuu desperately chimed in to agree with the fox. Souda stopped in his tirade about Sonia and instead turned his eyes to Hinata. 

“Oh yeah! You didn’t tell us how you got here,” Souda said. Hinata looked at the fox. Did he steer the conversation so Hinata wouldn’t be bored?

“W-Well I got into a fight with another lone wolf. They ended up biting my leg and I couldn’t fight anymore,” Hinata explained. He could vividly remember the pain and the blood. 

“How about you two? How did you all get here?”, Hinata asked. He truly was curious about the animals that lived here. 

Kuzuryuu huffed. “Isn’t it obvious?”, he said while gesturing to his missing eye. “I’ve lived with Peko my whole life. When I got hurt she knew she couldn’t do anything to help so she found the human.” Hinata was curious about how a squirrel and a lynx could be raised together, but he decided to ask another time. 

“My wing is broken. A big rock fell on it and I was stuck there until I was rescued,” Souda lifted his wing to show Hinata. It was bent in an unnatural way and it was clear that Souda couldn’t use it. 

Hinata nodded. So all of the animals here got injured in some way? He looked down at the white fox. His eyes were cloudy and unfocused. Komaeda had said that he lived with humans his whole life. 

“So, what’s your story?” Hinata asked the fox. Both Souda and Kuzuryuu flinched. 

“Me?” 

“Yeah. Where did you come from? You don’t seem injured.”

The fox was silent for a few moments. Then, he laughed. A wheezy, broken laugh. His gray eyes seemed to swirl with emotion as he laughed and laughed and laughed. 

“Fucking hell!” Kuzuryuu exclaimed before he sprinted out of the clearing. Hinata didn’t understand. What the hell is going on? 

Komaeda was gently clawing at the ground as he wheezed. Souda cautiously approached the small fox and settled beside him. 

It didn’t take long for Kuzuryuu to return. To Hinata’s surprise, Nanami was running right behind Kuzuryuu. He never expected to see the tired and sluggish cat running. 

She ran right to the trembling fox and pressed herself against him. She spoke softly to the fox and gently licked his head. Komaeda’s breathing gradually slowed, but his eyes were still wide and crazed. 

Nanami gently nudged Komaeda to his feet. “... I think Komaeda needs to go back to his enclosure.” Without another word, the cat began to guide Komaeda away. Hinata’s eyes tracked them until he couldn’t see them anymore. 

“What happened? Ibuki heard panic!” Hinata looked up and saw the bat settle herself on a tree. The black and white bunny also emerged from the trees. 

“W-was it K-Komaeda?” Tsumiki asked timidly. 

Kuzuryuu nodded with a sigh. “This dumbass couldn’t keep his mouth shut.” Hinata startled when he realized that Kuzuryuu was talking about him. 

“M-Me? What did I do?”

Tsumiki looked at Hinata timidly. “I-It's not your fault. Y-y-you didn’t know.” Everyone was talking to him like he was the problem. 

“Whatever. I don’t care anyways,” Hinata huffed as he stomped out of the clearing. How the hell was it his fault? That weird fox was the one who had the breakdown! 

Hinata sulked as he tried to find a place to lay down. It’s not like he cared about the animals here. He shouldn’t care about Komaeda either. 

As he settled down, Hinata wondered just what caused Komaeda to act that way. 

“... I hope he’s okay.”


	7. Chapter 7

Hinata was more than willing to go back to his enclosure when the time came. He avoided all the other animals and refused to talk to them. Mioda came and tried to cheer him up by “singing” which just ended up being ungodly screeching noises. 

He needed to get out of this place as soon as possible. He didn’t want anything to do with the animals here, and he was ready to go back into the wild. As soon as the human let him into his enclosure, he headed straight for his den.

He collapsed on to the den floor with a huff. He could feel the cold air of night flowing from the opening to his den. He curled himself up and tried to fall asleep. 

After many failed attempts at sleeping and thrashing around, Hinata could tell he wouldn’t be sleeping. He growled as he stood up and left the comfort of the den. The cold wind ruffled his brown fur, making him fluff up his fur. 

Without thinking, Hinata began walking. He thought about the wild. He wanted to be in his old den, looking for a mate to start a pack with. A flash of white entered his mind. Hinata shook his head, trying to forcibly remove the thought. 

Hinata’s legs decided to go against his wishes. Before long, he saw the edge of his enclosure. Hinata sighed and scanned the area for a ball of white. When Hinata spotted him, he gasped. 

The small fox was lying awkwardly on the ground, as if he collapsed. Hinata hurried over to the side of his enclosure to inspect the fox. His front paws were coated with mud and his fur was ruffled. Hinata was sure that he was completely clean and groomed the last time he saw him. 

Hinata jumped on the fence and began to rattle it, trying to wake up the fox. Komaeda twitched slightly, and Hinata sighed with relief when his gray eyes opened. 

“Hi… Hinata?” The fox sounded confused. Hinata gently nudged at the fence, trying to tell the fox to get up. Komaeda tried to stand, only to collapse again. Hinata sighed. 

“A-Ah… I truly am pathetic. I can’t even get up on my own,” the fox said as he stared at his paws. Hinata simply shook his head. The tension in his body evaporated as he saw that the fox was fine. 

“Why are your paws covered in mud?” Hinata asked the first question on his mind. Komaeda looked from Hinata to his paws. His eyes widened, and he desperately began trying to get up. Hinata winced as he saw all of the fox’s attempts fail. 

“I’m so sorry, Hinata! I must look truly disgusting,” Komaeda began to ramble. 

“That’s not what I’m saying. Just forget it,” Hinata easily gave up. It’s not like he cared anyway. The little fox still seemed to be concerned about his fur. 

“I… I’m sorry about today,” Komaeda began. Hinata’s ears pricked. He didn’t expect the fox to apologize. 

“I won’t be in the group enclosure tomorrow, so you don’t have to worry about seeing me.” Hinata felt strangely disappointed at the fox’s words. Hinata watched as Komaeda used his tail to block the view of his muddy front paws. Was he really so concerned about Hinata seeing his paws?

“Well… Are you okay? You freaked out pretty bad back there,” Hinata tried to strike up a conversation. The little fox only seemed to shrink more into himself. 

“I deeply apologize. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please tell me! You can bite me, kick me, eat me, anything!” Komaeda spoke loudly. Hinata flinched. Why the hell did this fox want to die so badly?

“Just forget it. I don’t care about it anymore,” Hinata sighed deeply. Talking to Komaeda always seemed to tire him. Silence soon enveloped the two of them. The only sound was the wind. Komaeda began to fidget before looking at Hinata. 

“Um… May I make a selfish request?” Komaeda asked. 

“Depends on what it is.” Komaeda smiled slightly. 

“I just want to hear your howl again. It’s truly the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard”, Komaeda’s tail wagged slightly. Hinata looked away, embarrassed. Hearing the fox praise him so honestly was making him flustered. 

“Yeah. Whatever,” Hinata tried his best to sound unaffected. At his approval, Komaeda’s tail began to wag even faster and he crawled closer to the point where he was pressed against the fence. 

Hinata took a deep breath and tried to pretend he was alone. He lifted his muzzle towards the sky and let out a long howl. Komaeda’s eyes sparkled as he listened, clearly enraptured. The small fox was completely pressed against the fence, wanting to be as close as possible to Hinata. 

Hinata felt invigorated. It had been so long since he bowled beside someone else. His howls were usually his way of releasing his sadness. Now, he was howling and someone was appreciating it. Hinata took a break to catch his breath. Komaeda’s eyes continued to sparkle. 

“How wonderful… You truly are from the wild. There’s so much strength in your howl,” Komaeda began to gush. Hinata looked over the little fox and noticed the tired look in his eyes. 

“You should get some sleep,” Hinata suggested. Komaeda’s ears pressed against his head. 

“Ah. I understand. Who would want to howl for something like me?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Hinata’s fur fluffed up. He was sick of the small fox’s self deprecation.

“I’ll keep howling. You can listen until you fall asleep.” Hinata was embarrassed. This was the first time he ever made an offer so intimate. The fox’s eyes lit up, his tail wagging even faster. Komaeda gently placed his head between his front paws. 

Hinata resumed his howling. He kept an eye on the little fox and saw as he slowly closed his eyes. Hinata only stopped his howling when he saw the fox’s breathing even out. 

Hinata slowly got closer to the fence and sniffed Komaeda. His flowery scent was back and Hinata smiled. He was glad the little fox was safe. Standing up, he began to walk towards his den, only to stop. 

Was it really okay for the frail fox to just sleep out in the cold? What if he got sick? Hinata looked back. Komaeda’s body was clearly weak. Hinata debated in his head on what to do before sighing and walking back to the fence. 

Hinata laid down and pressed his body against the fence where Komaeda was pressed. The fox’s fur was incredibly soft and he could feel his steady breathing. 

Hinata felt strangely content. He was used to always being alone. It was nice to feel another body against him. For the first time in months, Hinata fell asleep quickly.


	8. Chapter 8

The bright sunlight is what ended up waking Hinata. He grumbled as he tried to go back to sleep, only to jerk awake at the memory of the night before. He cautiously looked at the other side of the fence, only to tilt his head. 

Komaeda wasn’t there. 

Hinata stood up and shook himself. The scent of Komaeda was still fresh. Hinata huffed. So much for being nice. 

Just as Hinata was about to leave, a flash of white caught his attention. Komaeda was trotting towards him with what looked like a toy bone in his jaws. The little fox squealed in excitement when he saw Hinata was awake and broke into a run to get to the fence. 

“Hinata! Good morning,” Komaeda said when he placed the toy down, tail wagging. Hinata tilted his head. Komaeda was fully groomed and the mud coating his paws was gone. 

“Yeah… Morning,” Hinata mumbled. He didn’t know what to say to the fox. Luckily, Komaeda already seemed to have something he wanted to say. 

“I wanted to give you a gift! You stayed with trash like me all night! That truly is an accomplishment,” as he spoke, Komaeda prodded the plush bone. 

“Uh… Thanks? But you won’t be able to fit that through the fence,” Hinata observed. Komaeda’s tail only wagged faster. 

“You’ll get it soon! Don’t worry!”

Well… That’s ominous. 

“Monomi will be bringing food soon. You shouldn’t waste anymore time with trash like me,” Komaeda’s eyes were bright as he spoke. Hinata didn’t know how to deal with the self-deprecating fox. 

“Yeah… I guess I’ll see you at the other enclosure,” Hinata spoke, hopeful. Komaeda shook his fluffy head. 

“I won’t be able to go to the other enclosure because of what happened yesterday. You should spend your time with the valuable animals!” Komaeda spoke with a smile. 

Hinata had to bite back his disappointment. 

__________________________

Hinata was bored. He was wandering around the big enclosure, wishing Komaeda were there. Komaeda had mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to come, but that didn’t make Hinata any less bored. 

Hinata startled as he heard the sound of something large walking. He was immediately on guard when the bear from before emerged. 

“Hinata, isn’t it?” Imposter asked. 

“Yeah… What about it?” Hinata’s fur was on end. He didn’t want to be around this bear. Bears only brought trouble and pain. 

“No need to be so tense. I won’t do anything to you,” Imposter’s voice was calm as he sat down. Hinata cautiously relaxed his stance. 

“I heard about what happened with Komaeda.” Hinata was immediately annoyed. Imposter seemed to notice. 

“I don’t blame you. Komaeda is… Complicated.” Hinata tilted his head. 

“Do you know more about Komaeda?” He was hopeful. If he knew more about the white fox, it would be easier to talk to him. 

“I know about everyone.” Hinata’s tail wagged. 

“Can you tell me about him?” Imposter tilted his head slightly at the question. 

“Komaeda grew up with Nanami. I don’t know where he came from before that. I can only guess that he isn’t wild with how he speaks. He must have been born in captivity.” Hinata’s eyes widened. He couldn’t understand how any animal could never live in the wild. 

“You shouldn’t mention his past. Something must have happened to him to make him have such an extreme response,” Imposter’s eyes were thoughtful as he spoke. Hinata’s ears pressed against his head. So that’s why Komaeda freaked out. 

“Sadly, I do not know more than that. Komaeda is a mysterious one. He rarely talks about himself,” Imposter shook his massive head as he spoke. Hinata sighed. He was hoping to find out more about the mysterious fox. 

“Well, what about you?” Hinata asked. The bear’s eyes widened. 

“What do you mean?” Imposter asked. 

“Tell me about you.” Imposter shuffled his paws at Hinata’s words. 

“There is nothing to me,” the bear spoke, solemnly. 

“There must be something. You’re talking to me and it’s clear you have a personality,” Hinata shook out his fur, trying to not get embarrassed. Imposter didn’t seem to know how to respond. 

“I am nothing. I was born with no name and nothing to go off of. The only thing I could do is impersonate others,” Imposter’s voice seemed far away as he spoke. Hinata huffed. 

“So? You aren’t impersonating now,” Hinata sighed. Imposter seemed taken aback by Hinata’s words. A smile slowly spread on the bear’s face. 

“Ah… I suppose you are right,” Imposter smiled at Hinata. 

“How about I tell you some stories about Komaeda?” 

Hinata was immediately excited. 

______________________________

Hinata’s tail was still wagging as he entered his own enclosure. Imposter had told him plenty of stories about the other animals. Hinata found himself laughing through a lot of them. 

Hinata trotted into his enclosure, only to stop. There was a different scent in his enclosure. He could smell flowers. He recognized that scent. 

A high pitched giggling noise pierced the air. Hinata’s fur stood on end as he crept toward the noise. He tried to calm his heavy breathing. 

Hinata crept into the clearing, only to stop at the sight. 

Komaeda was in his enclosure. 

Komaeda was rolling around in his enclosure. 

Komaeda was rolling around with the plush toy in his jaws. 

Komaeda’s happy noises filled the clearing as he joyfully rolled on the forest floor. Hinata approached and placed a massive paw on the fox to stop his rolling. 

Komaeda’s eyes widened, but his wagging picked up speed. 

“Does Hinata want to eat me?” Komaeda’s eyes sparkled. Hinata sputtered and removed his paw. 

“No! Why are you here? How did you get here?” Hinata’s fur bristled. Komaeda stood up and proudly lifted the plush bone. 

“Delivering your gift!” Komaeda placed the bone in front of Hinata. Hinata cautiously sniffed at it and then picked it up, just to appease the fox. 

He yelped slightly when the toy gave out a squeak. He began to rapidly bite down on the toy to continue hearing the squeaks. His tail began to wag happily at the new development. 

Hinata’s eyes trailed to Komaeda. The fox was hopping as he watched Hinata play with the toy. The wolf suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look. He placed the toy down and tried to calm his tail. 

“So… How’d you get in here?” Komaeda only seemed to get more excited at the question. He beckoned for Hinata to follow him as he trotted to the fence. 

The white fox proudly stood in front of a hole under the fence. A hole that led straight to Komaeda’s enclosure. 

“Wait… That’s why you had mud on your paws!” Hinata exclaimed. Komaeda’s tail continued to wag. 

“I wanted to allow Hinata the opportunity to eat me in private. This will help!” Komaeda’s gray eyes sparkled. Hinata decided to ignore the comment about eating Komaeda. 

He had to admit that he was impressed. The white fox seemed so frail, but he managed to dig his way into Hinata’s enclosure. He felt his tail begin to wag. 

“Um… Do you want to play?” Hinata asked. 

Komaeda’s squeal of excitement was all the answer he needed.


	9. Chapter 9

Hinata was panting heavily as he flopped on the ground. He and Komaeda had been playing with the plush bone for a while. Hinata looked at the little fox. 

Komaeda was obviously more tired than Hinata. He was breathing heavily and his tongue was lolling out of his mouth. Hinata was once again reminded of how frail Komaeda was. 

“Let’s take a break,” Hinata recommended as he laid down. Komaeda didn’t have the breath to agree, but he nodded slightly. 

Hinata looked at the white fox. There were burrs and twigs in his thick fur. Hinata used his paw to pull Komaeda closer. The fox let out a noise of surprise as he was pulled towards the large wolf. 

Hinata began to groom the little fox. He rasped his tongue over the problem areas and dislodged all the debris. Komaeda’s eyes were wide as Hinata groomed his thick fur. 

Hinata felt content. When he was with his pack, he would always groom his pack mates. It had been so long since he had groomed someone. Not to mention, he doesn’t remember ever grooming someone with such soft fur. 

Even after all the debris was gone, Hinata continued to groom Komaeda’s fur. His thoughts wandered. Maybe when he got out of here he would take Komaeda with him. Komaeda clearly wanted to see what it was like living in the wild. 

Komaeda was completely silent. His gray eyes were wide with a look of surprise and awe. Hinata could hear a rumbling sound coming from Komaeda. 

“What is that? Do you have breathing problems?” Hinata asked as he put his ear to Komaeda’s chest. Komaeda squealed and backed away. 

“H-Hinata! I don’t understand. Why would you choose someone like me?” Komaeda’s eyes were wide as he asked. 

“Choose you?” Hinata tilted his head. He didn’t understand what Komaeda was talking about. Komaeda’s eyes seemed to lose a bit of the spark they had. 

“A-Ah… Of course. You would never…” Komaeda trailed off. An awkward atmosphere enveloped the small clearing. Hinata didn’t understand why Komaeda was acting so strange. 

“It is getting rather dark. I suppose I should return to my enclosure,” Komaeda said. The happy tone in his voice sounded forced. Hinata nodded. Hinata tried to understand why Komaeda seemed so disappointed. 

Komaeda stopped at the fence. His eyes were distant as he spoke. 

“I truly am disgusting. Expecting you would feel the same.” 

He watched the little fox squeeze under the fence and disappear into his own enclosure. Hinata watched him until he was out of sight. 

Hinata didn’t understand the strange feeling in his chest. 

______________________

As soon as Hinata was let into the large enclosure, he put his nose to the ground and began to sniff. He automatically picked up the floral scent of Komaeda. Hinata began to track the scent, ignoring everything else around him. 

That was until something latched onto his back. 

Hinata immediately panicked and began trying to shake whatever it was off. Hinata felt sharp claws latch onto his back, and he immediately realized who it was. 

Hinata sat down and Nanami fell off his back. She lazily looked up at Hinata with no fear. 

“... Where are you going?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Hinata felt an embarrassed feeling spread throughout his chest. He couldn’t say he was trying to find Komaeda. 

Nanami tilted her head as Hinata didn’t answer. She then took the time to sniff the air. 

“Are you looking for Komaeda?” She asked. Hinata stiffened up. 

“... He seemed kinda down. Maybe you can help,” Nanami had a kind look on her face as she spoke. 

“If he’s feeling down, shouldn’t you be the one talking to him?” Hinata huffed. He remembered how easily Nanami had calmed Komaeda down when he panicked. 

Nanami shook her head. “Me and Komaeda are close, but that doesn’t mean I can fix everything. He didn’t want to talk today,” Nanami explained. Hinata sighed. If Nanami couldn’t help, he didn’t know what he would be able to do. 

Nanami used her head to push Hinata into standing. “If you follow his trail, it’ll smell like he suddenly disappeared. Just continue walking forward when the trail stops,” Nanami continued pushing Hinata as she spoke. 

“Okay, okay I’ll go! Just stop pushing me!” Hinata growled. Nanami smiled at him as he started walking. He didn’t understand why Nanami wanted him to see Komaeda so badly. Why were the animals here so hard to understand?

Hinata continued to follow the scent trail and, just as Nanami said, it was as if Komaeda had disappeared. The scent suddenly stopped. Hinata lifted his head and sniffed the air. The scent of flowers was overpowering. 

Hinata reluctantly kept walking forwards until he was met with a barrier of bushes. He growled until he realized that there was a little tunnel in the ground. It was too small for Hinata to go through, but it seemed like the perfect size for Komaeda. 

Hinata sighed as he closed his eyes and walked through the bushes. The twigs whipped against his fur and he gritted his teeth. This had better be worth it. 

Hinata opened his eyes as he emerged into a clearing. He gasped at the sight. Colorful flowers completely enveloped the clearing. Sunlight bathed the clearing in a warm feeling. 

In the middle of the clearing, Komaeda was lying amongst the flowers. His white fur seemed to glow in the sunlight. His gray eyes seemed distant as he looked at nothing. 

Hinata crept closer to the fox, making sure his paw steps were loud. Komaeda turned his head towards Hinata. 

“Ah, Hinata. It’s good to see you,” Komaeda said. His eyes still seemed distant as he spoke, his voice flat. Hinata walked until he was standing beside Komaeda’s small body. 

“You hid pretty well. I wouldn’t have found you if Nanami didn’t help,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded. Hinata’s fur was on end. He was used to Komaeda being talkative and excited. Now he just seemed dead. 

“Look at these, Hinata,” Komaeda gestured to a group of small white flowers. Hinata leaned in to look at them. 

“They’re called daisies. They’re actually weeds,” Komaeda explained. Hinata was surprised. They looked like regular flowers to him. 

“They choke out other plants while still looking like flowers. They take selfishly, and still manage to look like the others.” Hinata felt cold as Komaeda continued to talk. Komaeda’s voice was eerily calm, no emotion being expressed. 

“I’m just like these weeds. I’m ultimately worthless, only taking resources from those who deserve it. Yet, I still look like a wild animal,” Komaeda’s eyes swirled as he spoke. 

“Yet, you continue to seek me out. Why do you follow me, Hinata? Are you looking to be tainted by my putridness?” Komaeda’s voice was monotone as he spoke. It took a bit of time for his words to register to Hinata. 

“What’re you talking about? You’re acting really strange,” Hinata’s ears pressed against his head. Komaeda laughed dryly. 

“I am nothing, Hinata. And yet I continue to take your time. I continue to leech off your kindness. I continue wanting, selfishly,” Komaeda spat out the words. Hinata had enough. 

Komaeda made a startled sound as he was picked up. He began to squirm, but Hinata kept his grip on the fox’s fur. Hinata laid down far away from the daisies and placed Komaeda against his chest fur. 

Before Komaeda could scramble away, Hinata placed his head over him, trapping Komaeda with its weight. Komaeda’s breathing was labored as he continued to struggle. 

“Stop squirming! I won’t be able to sleep like this,” Hinata growled. Komaeda slowly began to calm down, but his eyes continued to dart around the clearing. 

“If I didn’t want to be around you, I wouldn’t seek you out. It’s my choice to spend time with you. If you don’t want to spend time with me, then you can just tell me. But I don’t care about all that wild animal crap,” Hinata growled. 

Komaeda’s breathing slowly evened out as he listened to Hinata speak. “I don’t understand.” Komaeda’s voice sounded so small to Hinata’s ears. 

“I just don’t… Understand.” The little fox’s breathing began to slow as he fell asleep. 

Hinata was left wondering just what Komaeda had gone through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fox behaviors described:  
> Fox mates groom each other to show affection, so Komaeda took the grooming as a sign that Hinata was interested in him.  
> Foxes can actually make noises that sound like purrs. They aren’t technically purrs because only cats can purr, but it’s basically what it is. The rumbling Hinata heard was Komaeda purring.


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata didn’t know how long they stayed there. He was sure Komaeda was asleep at this point, but Hinata’s mind was racing. Komaeda’s little speech came as a complete shock to him. He didn’t know how to process it. 

There was clearly something wrong with Komaeda. Something must have happened to him to make him this way. Hinata huffed. He shouldn’t care about Komaeda. He should only care about getting out. 

He felt Komaeda’s gentle breathing against his chest. He felt… odd. He felt fluttering in his stomach and his heartbeat quicken. The feeling only intensified as he felt Komaeda yawn. 

“Ah… Hinata,” the little fox’s voice was rough with sleep. Hinata quickly stood up. This weird feeling was because of Komaeda, right?

“Hinata?” Komaeda tilted his head before his eyes became downcast. 

“I see. It must have been truly disgusting to have me sleeping near you,” the fox’s voice was sorrowful. Hinata quickly shook his head. 

“N-No! It’s not that. I just was feeling weird,” Hinata decided to tell the truth. Komaeda tilted his head again. 

“Are you getting sick?” His voice was full of concern. 

“M-Maybe. I don’t know,” Hinata sighed. The more Komaeda talked, the worse it got. 

“Monomi will be able to tell if something is wrong. So, try your best to fight it until tomorrow,” the white fox was clearly concerned. Hinata looked up at the sky, trying to look anywhere other than at Komaeda. 

“Oh. It’s nearly time to go back to our enclosures,” Hinata said. Komaeda stood up quickly, only to fall back down. Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“You do that a lot, don’t you?” Hinata smiled. Komaeda laughed, sounding forced. 

“Y-Yes. I have always been clumsy,” Komaeda said as he successfully stood up. Hinata was happy to see that whatever mood he was in earlier seemed to be gone. 

Komaeda trotted over to the little tunnel in the ground before seeming to realize something. 

“Hinata… Did you walk through the bushes?” 

“Yeah. Is that a problem?”

“No! It must have been painful! Having to go through that just to see an animal like me must have been true torture,” Komaeda’s tail was between his legs as he spoke. Hinata sighed. 

“We’ve been over this. I wanted to see you and I wasn’t made to,” Hinata growled as he reached the bushes and began pushing through. The feeling of the twigs catching on to his fur was just as unpleasant as the first time. 

As he got out, he saw Komaeda scrambling out of the little tunnel. Hinata was reminded of the tunnel that Komaeda made between their enclosures. 

“You’re really good at digging,” Hinata spoke. Komaeda tucked his head into his chest, bashfully. The feeling from before intensified. 

“All foxes are used to digging. It’s in our blood,” Komaeda said before beginning to trot towards the opening to the enclosure. Hinata trailed after him. 

“I can smell a storm. It may hit us tomorrow,” Hinata said. Komaeda stiffened up. 

“A-Ah. I see. Your nose is fitting for a wild animal,” Komaeda complimented. Hinata huffed. He was getting sick of the wild animal talk. 

As they approached the edge of the enclosure, the human that was taking care of them came into view. She seemed worried, her eyes scanning all the animals near the edge waiting to go back to their enclosure. 

Komaeda broke into a run. The human spotted him and her face lit up, making happy noises as Komaeda approached her. She scooped him up in her arms and seemed to be trying to talk to him. 

“... Komaeda leaves earlier than us. He goes into his enclosure before we all do. She was worried,” Nanami’s lazy voice made Hinata look down. 

“I see. I didn’t know,” Hinata said. Nanami nodded and let out a huge yawn. 

“She’s probably going to take him inside tonight. She’ll let him sleep in her bed with me,” Nanami said. Hinata felt a stab of disappointment. That meant Komaeda wouldn’t be coming into his enclosure tonight. Nanami seemed to notice. 

“... He’ll be put in the big enclosure a little later than usual, but he’ll still be there if you want to be with him.” Hinata’s fur fluffed up. 

“Whatever. It’s not a big deal,” he huffed. Nanami nodded slowly and leaped onto the fence. Hinata waited patiently for Monomi to reach him and take him back to his enclosure. 

As she put the strange thing around his neck, he couldn’t help feeling resentment. She’d be keeping Komaeda inside. He shook his head. Why did he even want to be with Komaeda? He was clearly crazy.

When he was let into his enclosure, he immediately walked to his den. That strange fluttery feeling returned as he saw the toy Komaeda had given him. He sniffed the plush bone. Komaeda’s scent was still strong. 

He picked up the bone and took it into his den. He huffed as he laid down, placing the bone in front of him. The smell of Komaeda was calming. 

_I wish he were here._

Before he could think over that thought, he fell asleep with the scent of Komaeda filling his thoughts. 

_______________________

Hinata was pacing around, waiting for Komaeda to get there. He was in the big enclosure and was slowly losing his mind. He needed to ask Komaeda about that weird feeling. Maybe he would know what was going on. 

He huffed. He needed a drink. He stiffened up at the thought of the swan. She wouldn’t object to him getting a drink, right? Right?

Hinata cautiously walked in the direction of the lake. As it came into view, his eyes darted around, searching for the swan. He could see no sign of her. 

Walking to the edge, he began to drink. The water was refreshing and helped calm his mind. 

“Hey!” 

Hinata yelped and scrambled away as a voice called out. He calmed down when he realized it was just the otter. 

“What did you do to Komaeda to make him late yesterday?” The otter’s voice was demanding. Hinata sighed. 

“I didn’t do anything. He fell asleep and I woke him up when it was time for me to leave,” he explained. The otter seemed to calm down a bit. 

“I see. You better not do anything to hurt him,” she said. Hinata nodded. 

“Your name is Koizumi, right?” He asked with a tilt of his head. The otter nodded as she slid into the water. 

“Where’s the swan?” He asked, fear clear in his voice. 

“Saionji? She’s at her annual vet visit,” Koizumi explained. Hinata had heard that term a lot, but he still didn’t know what a vet was. 

“Are you waiting for Komaeda to arrive?” Koizumi asked. Hinata fluffed up his fur. 

“No,” he lied. Koizumi huffed and narrowed her eyes. 

“Why can’t males just tell the truth? You are waiting for him,” she said. Hinata felt thoroughly scolded as she glared at him. 

“What made you come here? If you don’t mind me asking,” Hinata desperately tried to change the subject. 

“Me? It’s pretty simple. I got a really bad injury. It ended up getting infected and I had nowhere to go. I was just wandering around when Monomi found me,” Koizumi continued to paddle as she spoke. She truly looked graceful in the water. 

“Make sure you’re gentle with Komaeda, okay?” Hinata was surprised when he heard the concern in the otter’s voice. 

“He’s fragile. He can get hurt easily. If you end up hurting him, I’ll deal with you,” her concerned voice turned threatening in an instant. Her demeanor reminded him of his mother. 

“I won’t hurt him. I promise.” Koizumi looked into his eyes when he finished speaking. She seemed to like what she saw because she nodded. 

“You aren’t so bad. As long as you don’t go jumping into my territory again, I think we could get along,” Koizumi said. Hinata flinched at the reminder of his first day in the big enclosure. 

“Komaeda should be getting here soon. Why don’t you go wait for him? He seems to have taken a liking to you,” Koizumi said before diving into the water. 

Hinata felt his whole body heat up. He found himself running to the opening of the enclosure. He wanted to see Komaeda, badly. He felt strange. 

Why did he want to see the fox so badly?


	11. Chapter 11

Hinata waited patiently at the front of the enclosure. The smell of rain was strong. There would likely be a storm tonight. Hinata perked up as he saw Monomi approaching. 

Komaeda was in her arms, his white fur standing out against her clothes. Monomi held him like he was a precious treasure and placed him on the ground gently. 

As soon as he was on the ground, Komaeda began running towards where Hinata was sitting. His tail was wagging happily as he skidded to a halt in front of him. 

“Hinata! What’re you doing here?” Komaeda’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at the wolf. That feeling from before came back. 

“That should be obvious. I was waiting for you,” Hinata explained as he stood. 

“Why would you be waiting for someone like me?” Komaeda tilted his head. Hinata huffed. He was tired of how Komaeda talked about himself. 

“It’s going to storm later,” Hinata changed the subject. Komaeda’s tail stopped wagging. 

“I suppose it is,” Komaeda’s voice sounded distant as he spoke. Hinata tilted his head in concern. 

“Well… Do you want to play?” Hinata asked. He desperately wanted to see Komaeda wagging his tail again. What he said seemed to do the trick, as Komaeda perked up and his tail started wagging again. 

Hinata crouched down, looking ready to pounce. Komaeda seemed to catch on quickly, looking ready to run. As soon as Hinata leaped, Komaeda started running. 

Hinata’s tail was wagging as he chased the little fox. He could hear Komaeda’s giggling in front of him, making that strange feeling in his chest reappear. 

It didn’t take long for Hinata to catch up. He gently knocked the little fox over, making his tail wag faster. Komaeda’s happy noises filled him with glee. 

Hinata nuzzled against the fox’s chest fur, taking in his flowery scent. That strange rumbling sound began again. Hinata didn’t want to ruin the good mood, so he stayed quiet. 

Hinata leaned back to look at the fox. Komaeda’s eyes held a strange warmth as he looked at Hinata. The wolf felt that strange feeling intensify. 

“Hinata is so strong. You must be the strongest wild animal I’ve met,” Komaeda’s voice was soft as he spoke. Hinata shook his broadhead. 

“I’m not that strong. My brother was always stronger than me,” Hinata huffed. Komaeda tilted his head. The little fox scrambled to his paws and approached Hinata. 

“Can you tell me more stories?” Komaeda’s eyes sparkled, but there was something else he wanted to ask. 

“Um… While you tell me stories… Can I groom you?” Komaeda’s eyes were looking anywhere other than at Hinata. Hinata tilted his head. 

“That’s it? Sure you can,” Hinata laid on his stomach as he spoke. Komaeda’s ears twitched. 

“Yes… It doesn’t mean anything. Of course,” Komaeda seemed to be trying to convince himself of something as he settled in between Hinata’s paws. Hinata felt the gentle rasp of the fox’s tongue on his chest fur. 

“Wow! Hinata has a lot of chest fur! I could make a den here,” Komaeda giggled. A feeling of warmth spread throughout Hinata’s body as he felt Komaeda paw playfully at his chest. 

Hinata didn’t know how long they sat there. The wolf told Komaeda as many stories as he could. Stories about his brother Kamukura, about the harsh winters, and anything else he could think of. The whole time, he could feel the fox carefully grooming him. He was incredibly cautious as if he didn’t think he should be doing it. 

When the grooming stopped, Hinata couldn’t help feeling disappointed. 

“Monomi should be here to get me soon,” Komaeda explained. Hinata nodded. 

“Can I walk you to the entrance?” Hinata asked. Komaeda’s tail wagged as he nodded. 

The walk to the entrance was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Hinata was basking in the feeling of walking beside the little creature. There was something special about Komaeda that he couldn’t place. 

Monomi was already waiting by the time they reached the entrance. She cooed at Komaeda and ran her fingers through his fur. Hinata felt a strange feeling arise in his chest. 

_Am I… Jealous?_

Hinata shook his head. It must be something else. He watched as Monomi walked away with Komaeda. He watched until he could no longer see them. 

Hinata began to wander. He was bored when Komaeda wasn’t around. The little fox captivated him in a way that no other creature had. 

He stopped when he came across Nanami and Sonia. He expected the owl, Tanaka, to be nearby, but he wasn’t. It didn’t surprise Hinata that Souda wasn’t there. Kuzuryuu must have been right about the bird’s crush. 

Hinata’s ears pricked as he heard a familiar noise. Nanami was rubbing her body against Sonia’s, a rumbling sound emerging from her. Hinata hurriedly approached them. 

“Ah! Hinata, what a pleasure it is to see you,” the deer smiled brightly. Hinata nodded and turned his gaze to Nanami. 

“That noise your making is like the one Komaeda makes. Do you both have the same breathing problem?” Hinata tilted his head. 

Nanami looked at him. She was looking at him like he was the stupidest animal she had ever seen. 

“... What?” Nanami asked. 

“That noise. The rumbling one. I heard Komaeda making the same noise,” Hinata tried to explain. Sonia seemed incredibly amused. 

“... I’m purring,” Nanami stated simply. Hinata tilted his head and Nanami sighed. 

“It means I’m happy. It’s a good thing. The same goes for Komaeda. If he’s purring then it means he’s happy,” Nanami explained.

Hinata felt the warmth come back. The thought of making Komaeda happy made him feel good. 

“Does that ‘purring’ have a weird effect on the ones who hear it,” Hinata asked. Nanami tilted her head. 

“Well, I’ve been feeling weird around Komaeda lately. I feel warm and kind of tingly. Is it because of that noise?” Hinata’s question was answered with Sonia’s giggle. 

“I believe that’s called love,” the elegant deer spoke.

… Love? 

Hinata rabidly shook his head. 

“What? There’s no way! He’s a fox! How could I be in love with-“ Hinata was cut off as he felt rain on his muzzle. Nanami immediately stood up. 

“I’m going inside. No way I’m getting soaked. See you tomorrow Sonia,” Nanami began running before either of the animals could respond. Sonia stood up. 

“You shouldn’t feel ashamed for liking Komaeda. He is rather cute,” Sonia said. 

“No. It’s not like that. There’s no way,” Hinata said. Sonia nodded, but her eyes glinted mischievously. 

“Come along. Monomi will be collecting us soon since it’s raining,” Sonia began to trot and Hinata followed.

The drizzle soon escalated to a downpour. Hinata’s fur was soaked and he could hear the sounds of thunder. However, the thunder was drowned out by his thoughts. 

There was no way he was in love with Komaeda. The warm feeling must be something else. It had to be. 

Hinata was happy to be let into his enclosure. He was ready to curl up in his den away from the rain. The thunder was incredibly loud and hurt his ears. 

Before Hinata could enter his den, a strange sound stopped him. He pricked his ears, trying to hear where it came from. It sounded like whimpering. 

Hinata began trotting to the edge of his enclosure. The whimpering was getting louder as he approached Komaeda’s enclosure. 

The fox soon came into view. He was cowering under a bush, his paws over his eyes. Hinata could see the little fox shaking. 

“Komaeda?” Hinata spoke. Komaeda cautiously looked at him. 

“Ah! Hinata! I truly apologize. My disgusting noises must have been bugging you. I’ll try to keep it down-“ Before Komaeda could continue, a loud crack of thunder interrupted him. Komaeda yelped and his shaking increased, his fur on end. 

“Komaeda… Are you scared of the thunder?” Hinata asked. It took awhile for Komaeda to respond, but he eventually nodded. 

“It’s truly pitiful, isn’t it? Getting scared over something that cannot even hurt me,” Komaeda’s voice was quiet. He seemed so much smaller as he shivered. 

“Get over here,” Hinata motioned to the tunnel Komaeda made. Komaeda seemed hesitant, but he didn’t want to disappoint Hinata. The little fox scrambled under the fence and looked up at Hinata. 

Before he could say anything else, Hinata grabbed the scruff of his neck and started to carry him. Komaeda didn’t say anything as Hinata approached his den. 

The den was warm compared to the cold rain outside. Hinata placed the little fox down and wrapped his body around him. He placed his tail over the little fox’s ears. 

“There. That’ll help keep out the noise,” Hinata refused to look at Komaeda. 

“Hinata… You don’t have to do this. Just let me deal with this myself,” Komaeda spoke, but his body didn’t seem to agree. Komaeda was already burrowing closer to Hinata. 

“You said I’m the strongest animal you’ve met. I’ll be able to protect you from the thunder,” Hinata spoke quietly. 

“You… You shouldn’t be protecting someone like me,” Komaeda’s voice sounded pained. 

“I want to. Now, go to sleep,” Hinata laid his head down. 

Komaeda was still conflicted. Hinata could feel him fidgeting against his fur. Hinata almost sighed in relief when he felt Komaeda bury his nose into the wolf’s fur. 

… Hinata could get used to this.


	12. Chapter 12

Hinata’s eyes opened slowly. He could see light coming in from the entrance to his den. Just as he was about to get up, he noticed a white ball of fluff. 

Oh yeah… Last night happened. 

Komaeda was laying on his back, his belly exposed to the air. His face was relaxed, his tongue slightly poking out of his mouth. Hinata felt slightly concerned. 

_Did I… Crush him in my sleep?_

Hinata felt panic grip his heart at the thought. He quickly nuzzled his nose into Komaeda’s chest, trying to feel for a heartbeat. 

“Is Hinata finally going to eat me?”

The raspy voice made Hinata jerk his head back with a yelp. Komaeda lazily rolled over into his stomach. Hinata had to keep in his chuckle. Komaeda’s usually pristine fur was sticking up in all directions. Komaeda seemed to pick up on Hinata’s mood and scrambled away when he saw his fur. 

“Ah! I apologize Hinata! Having to see something so repulsive in the morning,” Komaeda’s voice was pitched high in panic. Hinata tilted his head. He didn’t understand why Komaeda was freaking out so much. Hinata’s fur was also a mess. 

“I-I will leave your sight. I-I promise I’ll be back to normal soon,” Komaeda began to stumble away, but Hinata used his paw to pull him back. He began to groom Komaeda’s fur, making sure it looked like it usually did. 

“How unfortunate. That you have to groom an ugly thing like me,” Komaeda was shaking as Hinata groomed him. Hinata huffed. 

“You were the one freaking out. I’m doing this because I want to. Why were you freaking out anyway?” Hinata asked. He felt Komaeda tense up. 

“It’s not something you should be concerned about,” Komaeda’s voice was distant. 

_Great. Another mystery surrounding Komaeda._

Hinata decided to let the issue drop and continued to groom Komaeda’s fur. Komaeda was still twitching and mumbling something Hinata couldn’t discern. 

“Oh… This is where you were.”

The voice at the front of the den made Hinata scramble away from Komaeda. Nanami’s face was just as expressionless as ever as she walked to Komaeda. 

“Monomi is worried. She thinks you may have dug your way out,” Nanami yawned. Komaeda nodded and gave Hinata a reassuring smile. 

“I suppose I’ll see you around.” Hinata nodded and watched as Nanami led Komaeda out of his den. 

Hinata had to fight the feeling to follow. He couldn’t be with Komaeda all the time. Why did he even want to? Komaeda was weird and creepy. 

Hinata nodded to himself. He should spend some time away from the fox. Maybe that would help these weird feelings go away. 

__________________

Hinata was bored. 

He didn’t know what to do now that he was in the large enclosure. He already promised himself that he wouldn’t try and find Komaeda. So now he was left wandering. 

Something bright caught his eye. The flashy bird, Souda seemed to be talking to the owl. Hinata listened in. 

“The poison barrier surrounding my body will reduce your body to ashes,” Tanaka said. Souda was annoyed, his feathers ruffled. 

“I’m just trying to touch you! Isn’t that normal?” Souda asked. 

“For mere mortals, perhaps. However, I am different,” Tanaka’s voice was still calm while Souda got more pissed. 

“Fine! If you want to be a weirdo then fine!” Souda chirped before walking off. 

The flashy bird almost stumbled right into Hinata. Souda squawked in alarm, only to calm down when he saw who it was. 

“Hinata! Perfect timing! Let’s hang out,” Souda seemed to already decide for Hinata as he ushered the wolf away. 

“Tell me about yourself!” Souda said as he plopped down. Hinata was already annoyed. 

“I’m a wolf. Got into a fight. Now I’m here,” Hinata wanted this conversation to be over. 

“Come on! Let’s be bros! Do you have your eyes on anyone?” Souda’s voice was excited as he asked. Hinata sputtered. 

“Wh-What do you mean?”

“Who are you gunning for? I can see the look in your eyes, you obviously have your eyes on someone,” Souda’s voice was mischievous. “And if it’s Miss Sonia you may get some scratches.”

“I think you’re more concerned about me being with Tanaka,” Hinata deadpanned. 

“Not you too! You don’t even know me! I’m obviously not into that creep!” Souda puffed his feathers out. Hinata rolled his eyes. 

“I’m not interested in anyone. I just want to leave this place,” Hinata explained. Souda tilted his head. 

“Are you sure? You have a longing look in your eyes. There has to be someone who makes you feel all warm and tingly.”

A flash of white entered Hinata’s mind. He quickly shook his head. 

“There’s no one,” Hinata mumbled. Souda hummed in response. 

“So you got hurt, right? If you’re so eager to go back into the wild, Tsumiki may be able to tell how long it’ll take,” Souda said. Hinata immediately perked up. 

“Really? Do you know where she is?” Hinata asked in excitement. 

“She isn’t here today. It’s her vet visit. She’ll be here tomorrow though. You can talk to her then,” Souda said. Hinata nodded quickly. Knowing when he could leave this place was incredibly useful. 

Souda began to chatter about his life and what caused his injury. Hinata found himself listening. He had never seen a bird like Souda, so he was curious about what life a bird like him would live. He found himself adding in his thoughts and experiences. 

“Everyone here is injured in some way. Some of us have healed though,” Souda explained. Hinata felt panic spike through his body. 

“If some aren’t injured, why are they still here? Does she force us to stay?” Hinata’s fur was on end. 

“Of course not! We’ve had a lot of animals who left after they were healed. Some of us just decided we like living here more than life outside. If you want to stay, you gotta stay around your enclosure and ask to be let back inside,” Souda explained. 

Hinata didn’t know why any animal would want to stay. Why would they when they could go back into the wild? Souda stood up and fluffed his feathers. 

“I’m gonna see what Miss Sonia is doing. Wanna come along?” Souda asked. Hinata scrunched up his nose. He didn’t know anything worse than having to listen to Souda trying to convince himself that he likes the deer. 

“No, you can go on your own. I’m going to walk around for a bit,” Hinata stood as well and nodded to Souda. He found himself enjoying the bird’s company. He hoped he would be able to talk to him again. 

Hinata began to wander. Now that Souda was gone, he was back to being bored. His mind kept drifting to Komaeda and how interesting he was. 

It wouldn’t be bad if he saw him for a bit, right? 

Hinata sniffed the air and picked up Komaeda’s scent. He felt his fur rise in excitement at the idea of talking to him. As he followed the scent, he picked up another one as well. Nanami. 

He continued following the trail until he saw him. Hinata immediately stopped. Nanami was grooming Komaeda and Komaeda was talking to her about something. 

Hinata felt a spark of jealousy. Nanami was grooming Komaeda. She was grooming him. He wasn’t. He felt his claws dig into the ground and his teeth grind. 

He was shocked at the intensity of his feelings. He took a step back. Then another. And soon he was running in the opposite direction. 

What did it matter if Nanami and Komaeda were grooming? He didn’t care. Why should he care? He growled. He just needed to get out of here. That was his only goal. 

He didn’t need to care about Komaeda. No matter how many times he told himself that, the feeling of jealousy didn’t leave.


	13. Chapter 13

When he was let back into his enclosure, he immediately went to his den. 

He knew he was being dramatic, but that didn’t stop him. He still felt that pit of jealousy in his stomach. He collapsed into his nest with a huff. Komaeda’s flowery scent was still strong. 

“Hinata?” Komaeda’s voice called in the distance. Great, he was in Hinata’s enclosure. Hinata didn’t respond. That didn’t stop the inevitable. 

A white shape appeared at the front of his den. Hinata closed his eyes, hoping Komaeda would think he was asleep. The fox’s paw steps were soft as he approached and placed something beside Hinata. Hinata opened his eyes as Komaeda’s paw steps started again. He was heading toward the entrance. 

“Where are you going?” Komaeda squealed in alarm when Hinata spoke. 

“Hinata! I apologize. Did I wake you?” The little fox tilted his head. Hinata sighed and shook his head. 

“What’s this?” Hinata asked as he pawed the thing Komaeda brought. It was a red ball. 

“It’s my favorite ball! I thought you would want to play with it,” Komaeda’s tail was wagging quickly as he explained. Hinata couldn’t help feeling flattered. 

“Shouldn’t you be giving gifts to Nanami?” Hinata asked. Komaeda tilted his head. 

“Sister isn’t the most active. She prefers to doze.”

“S-Sister?” Hinata’s ears pricked. 

“Nanami is a sister to me. I was raised with her, after all,” Komaeda explained. Hinata tilted his head, wanting Komaeda to continue. 

“Monomi adopted me when I was a pup. I lived inside the house for a while. Nanami was a kitten too so we bonded.”

“What about your mother and father?” Hinata tilted his head. The fox averted his eyes. His eyes were gaining that crazed edge to them. Before he had another breakdown, Hinata dragged him closer. 

Komaeda relaxed as he was pushed against Hinata’s fur. Hinata felt warm as the fox pushed his face into the wolf’s fur. The flowery scent enveloped the little den. 

“You smell really nice,” Hinata spoke without thinking. Komaeda’s gray eyes lifted to look at him. Hinata could feel the fox’s tail hitting him as it wagged. 

“I have flowers in my enclosure. I like to roll around in them,” Komaeda explained. Hinata hummed before burying his face into Komaeda’s soft fur. The rumbling sound started. 

“So… You’re purring?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nodded. 

“I can’t control it. Sorry if it bugs you,” Komaeda’s voice was soft as he spoke. Hinata shook his head. The rumbling was strangely calming. 

“I’m tired. We can play tomorrow,” Hinata motioned to the ball. 

“Oh… Should I leave?”

“Huh? No, you’re staying here,” Hinata pulled the fox closer to stop him from moving. Komaeda’s purring picked up in intensity. 

The fox’s soft fur felt amazing and his purring was soothing. Maybe when he left this place he could take Komaeda with him. Hinata smiled at the thought of living in the wild with Komaeda. The fox’s eyes always seemed to sparkle as he talked about the wild. He wanted to see his eyes sparkle as he was in it too. 

____________________

When Hinata entered the large enclosure, he was happy to see Komaeda already waiting. His tail wagged faster as Hinata approached. 

“Hinata! What would you like to do today?” Komaeda’s voice was excited. 

“I was hoping to see that bunny, Tsumiki. Souda said that she should be able to tell when I’ll be able to leave.” Komaeda nodded enthusiastically. 

“That’s a wonderful idea, Hinata! Knowing how much longer you need to stay here will be a wonderful help!” Hinata felt a strange warmth again as Komaeda praised him. 

“Do you know where she would be?” Hinata tilted his head. Komaeda nodded and beckoned with his tail. 

Hinata followed the little fox and examined him as he did. He was smaller than any fox he had seen. He was the same size as Nanami. Hinata found himself wondering about the little creature’s past again but shook his head. The last time he asked about that, it was a disaster. 

Komaeda stopped walking abruptly and sniffed the air. Hinata’s eyes widened as Komaeda seemed to shove his face into the ground. He looked closely and saw a tunnel. 

“Tsumiki! Are you alright?” Komaeda called into the tunnel. 

“Th-There are tunnels here?” Hinata asked. He had never noticed them before. 

“Yes. They are actually mine,” Komaeda smiled. 

Before Hinata could respond, something landed on his head. 

“What does Hinata want with Tsumiki?” The eccentric fruit bat was on Hinata’s head. As if on cue, the little white rabbit came out of the tunnel and talked softly to Komaeda. 

“Ibuki is guarding Tsumiki! This better be important Hinata or you are not going to be part of my band!” Mioda flapped her wings as she spoke. 

“I-It’s okay. H-Hinata just wants a check-up,” the timid voice of the bunny seemed to calm Mioda down. 

Hinata tried to stay as still as possible, knowing how skittish the bunny was. She cautiously hopped over to his back leg and began sniffing it and touching it. Her paws were soft and she was gentle in her handling of his injury. 

“O-Okay. All done,” Tsumiki hopped back to Hinata’s front. Mioda jumped off Hinata’s head and settled beside the bunny. 

“I-I think you’ll be able to leave in around eight days. B-But I could be wrong. Pl-Please don’t hate me if I’m wrong!” Tsumiki got progressively more shaky as she spoke. Hinata did not know how to deal with her. 

“It’s okay Tsumiki. You can go back into the tunnel,” Komaeda’s voice was kind as he spoke. Tsumiki timidly nodded and practically sprinted back into the tunnel. 

“Hinata scared Tsumiki!” Mioda flapped her wings. Hinata sighed. He was destined to be blamed. 

“How amazing! Only eight more days and you’ll be able to leave,” Komaeda’s tail wagged, but there was something off. His excitement sounded forced. 

“Yeah, I guess that is good. I need to get back into a wolf mindset though. I think I’ve grown weaker from being here,” Hinata hummed. Komaeda’s eyes were thoughtful. 

“Ah! I know exactly what will help,” Komaeda jumped up in excitement. Hinata tilted his head. 

“Mioda, make sure Tsumiki doesn’t panic too much today. I think talking to us was enough stress,” Komaeda spoke. Mioda flapped her wings and made a mock salute. 

“Ibuki shall protect the princess! Maybe I’ll be rewarded with a kiss!” Mioda seemed to be exciting herself. Before Hinata could say anything, Komaeda took off. 

It was easy to keep up with the fox, his small legs weren’t as strong as Hinata’s. The wolf was still confused as to where they were going. Komaeda didn’t have any doubts though. 

The sounds of crashing rang louder and louder as Hinata followed the fox. Komaeda skidded to a halt in a clearing and Hinata did as well.

“Owari and Nidai?” The two canines were wrestling together, their strength clear. 

“These two are the wildest here! It’ll help training with another wolf too!” Komaeda’s tail wagged. Hinata appreciated Komaeda’s thoughtfulness, but the wolf felt dread as Owari’s gaze turned toward him. 

“Oh hey, Harold.”

“It’s Hinata.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever. What’re you doing here?” The large wolf scratched at her ear as she spoke. Before Hinata could make up an excuse, Komaeda chimed in. 

“Hinata has been feeling weaker recently. He wanted someone to train him,” Komaeda’s eyes shone with excitement. 

Hinata saw the two canines turn toward him. 

“Training?” They spoke in unison. 

Hinata had the sinking feeling that this was a very bad idea.


	14. Chapter 14

Hinata never stood a chance. 

“C’mon! This is the fifth time I’ve knocked ya’ down!” Owari’s voice bellowed around the clearing. Hinata’s fur was a complete mess, sticking up in all kinds of directions and he was covered in twigs and mud. What made it all the more humiliating was that Komaeda was watching them. 

“You can never hope to beat Owari with that technique,” Nidai’s deep voice surprised Hinata. He had expected the dog to only be cheering for Owari. 

“Well, just what am I supposed to do?” Hinata asked angrily. Nidai walked around Hinata and sniffed at his pelt. 

“You are trying to evade her. Owari is the fastest canine I’ve ever seen. You can never hope to dodge her,” Nidai answered. “You have a naturally strong body. You’ll need to utilize it. When you see her coming, you should brace yourself.”

“That’s suicide!” Hinata exclaimed. 

“Owari is strong, but her major weakness is her lack of balance. Get her to leap at you and when she grips you, try rolling over her,” Nidai said. Hinata nodded slowly. 

He turned back towards Owari as Nidai walked away. She returned to her normal battle stance and Hinata made sure to firmly plant his paws on the ground. 

Owari immediately leaped at him. She was so fast that it was hard to see her. She gripped onto him with her teeth and started to try and heal him to the ground. Just as Nidai said, Hinata rolled over onto her. Owari let out a grunt as Hinata pinned her to the ground. 

Just as he was about to howl in victory, Owari reared up and sent him flying to the floor. She immediately pinned him to the ground. He attempted to struggle, but he couldn’t get out of her grip. 

“Good job, Hinata!” Komaeda’s cheerful voice called from the side of the clearing. Hinata wanted to crawl into a hole and die. 

“You did well. Now we just have to train you on what to do in different situations,” Nidai spoke as Owari got off of Hinata. Hinata grumbled as he stood up. 

“Go rest up. You’ll need it,” Owari casually scratched her ear as she spoke. Hinata nodded and started to trudge to the side of the clearing. His tail was between his legs and his ears were pressed against his head. Komaeda had seen him be completely overpowered. How would the fox think of him now?

“That was amazing, Hinata!” Komaeda’s voice sounded genuinely excited. Hinata tilted his head as he looked at the white fox. 

“I got destroyed.”

“But I have never seen anyone except for Nidai pin Owari down!” Komaeda’s tail was wagging quickly and his eyes seemed to shine. Hinata’s body felt warm. 

“W-Well I’m a mess. I should probably wash myself off,” Hinata cringed at the thought of going to the lake. His encounter with Saionji had probably scarred him for life. 

Komaeda seemed to read his mind as he beckoned for Hinata to follow him. “There’s a small pond nearby. You should be able to get some of the mud off there.”

Hinata gratefully followed the little fox. Sure enough, they reached a small pond. Hinata immediately jumped in and rolled in the water. He felt cleaner, but he could still feel the sticks and twigs lodged in his fur. 

He shook his pelt of the water, making Komaeda giggle as he tried to shield himself. Hinata tried reaching back to get some of the twigs but huffed as he couldn’t reach it. Komaeda approached him and stood on his back legs to look at Hinata’s back. 

“You should lay down,” Komaeda said. Hinata tilted his head in confusion but did what the little fox said. Immediately, Komaeda leaped onto Hinata’s back. He could feel the little fox picking the twigs out of his thick fur. 

Hinata relaxed. Komaeda was incredibly gentle as he worked, licking at the fur that stuck up. He couldn’t help feeling a deep connection to the fox. Komaeda was strange and mysterious, but Hinata felt like he understood him. 

“All done!” Komaeda said as he hopped off Hinata’s back. He felt disappointment settle in his heart. He wanted to continue feeling Komaeda groom him. 

Komaeda looked up at the sky and sighed. Hinata followed his gaze and was surprised at how late it was already. 

“Monomi will be coming to get me. I’ll see you at your enclosure,” Komaeda smiled as he started walking away. Hinata watched the white fox until he had disappeared from his line of sight. 

_I’ll take him with me when I leave this place._

____________________

Hinata immediately ran to his den when he was let into his enclosure. He knew Komaeda would be waiting for him. Sure enough, the white fox was sitting by his den. Komaeda jumped up and his tail began to wag as Hinata approached. 

“I’m pretty tired. I don’t think I’ll be able to play today,” Hinata explained. Komaeda nodded. 

“I didn’t expect you to play. I was thinking that you may want to howl or tell more stories,” Komaeda’s excitement was contagious. Hinata smiled fondly at the fox and lifted his head and let out a howl. 

He could distantly hear Owari responding with her own howl which only made Komaeda get more excited. Hinata stared in shock as Komaeda lifted his head. He let out a high pitched yowl. His chest heaved as he tried to drag it out as much as he could. 

It wasn’t any howl Hinata had ever heard before, but it was distinctly Komaeda. It wasn’t a howl. It was Komaeda’s howl. Komaeda squealed in excitement as Hinata gently bowled him over. He wrapped his body protectively around Komaeda. 

“I can tell you some things about me. But for everything I tell you, you have to tell me something about you,” Hinata spoke. He could see many emotions flash across Komaeda’s face, before settling his feelings with a nod. 

“Well… How about we ask questions? If it’s something you really don’t want to talk about you can say no,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded and burrowed closer to Hinata. 

“What was your old pack like?” Komaeda asked. 

“Well, it was my family. I always felt left out though. My brother was good at everything. Meanwhile, I’m just… Normal,” Hinata sighed. 

“That’s not true! Hinata is truly an amazing wolf!” Komaeda exclaimed. His eyes were determined as he spoke. Hinata smiled at the little fox. 

For his question, he decided to get straight to the point. 

“You said Nanami is your sister. What about your birth family?” Komaeda stiffened up at the question. He was silent for a while and Hinata thought he was going to choose to skip it. 

“I was the weakest of my siblings. I was born in a dark cage. The humans who took care of us were keeping us because of our fur. They were going to kill us and take it,” Komaeda’s voice was hollow as he spoke. Hinata’s eyes widened in fear. 

“I got completely cut off from food by my siblings. I was the most likely to die after all. It would be better for my strong siblings to get all of the resources rather than me taking any.” Hinata was shocked at how casually the little fox spoke about being abandoned by his family. 

“By the time we were rescued, I was almost dead. I should have died there. But Monomi took me in. She fed me and cared for me. My mother was a wild fox before being captured and was set free along with my siblings. I was kept,” Komaeda’s eyes showed a deep longing. 

Hinata’s heart felt like it was being torn apart. He remembered how scared Komaeda was when his fur wasn’t in pristine condition. Was it because he thought his fur was his only use? He wrapped himself tighter around Komaeda. 

“You didn’t deserve that,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda laughed softly. 

“Don't be ridiculous, Hinata. Only the strong survive. I was weak and so I was meant to die,” Komaeda’s voice was raspy. 

“No!” Hinata was surprised at how strong his voice sounded. Komaeda stiffened up. 

“I-I apologize if I offended you in any way,” his voice was soft. Hinata shook his head and licked the fox’s fur. 

“No… You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay now, Komaeda. I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to worry about that again,” Hinata said. He knew what he would do. As soon as he was let out, he’d find a way to get Komaeda with him. He could take the fox with him and they could live happily together in the wild. 

They could be happy. Together in the wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to me, I’m 18 now.
> 
> Also if anyone is curious about what Komaeda’s howl sounds like: https://youtu.be/MMZqObn6jWk


	15. Chapter 15

“Um. What’re you doing?”

Hinata watched as Komaeda’s head popped out from one of his tunnels. The little fox shook himself, getting rid of the dirt in his white fur. 

“Hinata! I was making sure my tunnels aren’t going to collapse anytime soon,” Komaeda trotted up to Hinata with his tail wagging. Hinata leaned down to lick at the fox’s head. 

“Why did you feel like doing it now?” Hinata tilted his head. 

“I was thinking I could use them when we play!” Komaeda jumped in excitement. 

“I was thinking you could chase me and I can use the tunnels. It should make it more exciting and unpredictable. It could also help your hunting instincts,” Komaeda looked up at Hinata, wanting his approval. Hinata’s tail began to wag. 

“Yeah, that’ll help a lot. Do you want to start now?” Hinata tried to contain his excitement at the prospect. 

Komaeda gave an excited nod. Hinata watched carefully as Komaeda broke into a run. Hinata gave him a ten-second head start before he began to run. 

Komaeda’s white pelt vanished into the ground. Hinata pricked his ears and tried to listen to what was happening underground. He could vaguely hear the sound of paws. 

Hinata ran along the trail of the paws only to skid when he couldn’t hear the paws anymore. Komaeda must have altered his course underground. Hinata felt the excitement of the hunt rush through his veins. Komaeda wasn’t underestimating him. 

Hinata yelped in excitement as he saw Komaeda emerge from the ground. Komaeda didn’t bother stopping to shake his fur, choosing to continue running. Hinata pelted after the small fox. 

As he ran, Hinata noticed something odd. He could hear pounding paws close by. He chose to simply ignore it and focus on catching Komaeda. Komaeda’s small frame was getting closer and closer as Hinata caught up. 

Before Hinata could reach him he felt a weight knock him over. Hinata yelped and whimpered as he was held down by what felt like two strong animals. 

“What do you think you’re doing? You know hunting isn’t allowed here!” Nidai’s voice bellowed from above Hinata. Hinata tried to move only to be held down more forcefully by what must have been Owari. 

He heard a squeal of alarm that sounded like Komaeda. He must have noticed what happened. Hinata was about to try explaining when he saw Komaeda running up. His eyes were alright with anger. 

Hinata’s eyes widened as he watched the fox bite into Owari’s back leg. Komaeda let out a high pitched yelp as Owari kicked him. 

“Sorry. Reflexes-“ before Owari could continue, Hinata reared up and knocked both her and Nidai off of him. He snarled as he stood over the fox’s form. His lips were drawn back as he bared his teeth, protecting Komaeda from both of them. 

Owari and Nidai’s eyes were wide as they stared at him. Hinata didn’t understand why they were looking at him that way. He felt the gentle rasp of Komaeda’s tongue against his chest fur. 

“I’m okay Hinata. It was just a little kick,” Komaeda’s voice was gentle as he spoke. Hinata’s fur began to lay flat and his snarling stopped. He looked at Komaeda and began to nose into his fur, looking for any injuries. 

“See. I’m fine,” Komaeda giggled. Hinata felt relief flood through him. He licked the fox’s head, listening to the purr. 

“Seems that was a misunderstanding. We thought you were hunting Komaeda,” Nidai spoke. Hinata looked up at him and relaxed. 

“It’s alright. I guess it would look like that to outsiders,” Hinata nuzzled into Komaeda’s fur as he spoke. 

“You should probably let Monomi get you, Komaeda. You could be hurt,” Nidai said. Hinata tilted his head. Komaeda didn’t have any injuries on him so why would he have to leave? 

Komaeda let out a sigh. “I suppose so,” his voice sounded disappointed. Komaeda shakily stood up and looked at Hinata. 

“I’ll be at your enclosure tonight, but I might be a little late,” Komaeda rubbed his face against Hinata’s fur as he spoke. Hinata nodded silently. He didn’t understand why Komaeda would have to leave but we trusted the fox’s judgment. 

Nidai followed Komaeda as he trotted away, making sure he didn’t fall somewhere. Owari scratched at her head. 

“Sorry about that. It was a reflex,” Owari said. Hinata nodded slowly. He had calmed down so he understood Owari’s reasoning. Her ears pricked as she looked at him. 

“So how long have you and Komaeda been mates?” Owari spoke casually. Hinata was silent as he processed what she said. 

“H-Huh? Mates? Komaeda and I aren’t mates!” Hinata exclaimed. 

“Really? I’ve only seen a wolf act like you did when they’re defending their mate or pups,” Owari tilted her head. Hinata felt embarrassment rush through him as he thought back to how he acted. 

Owari thought Komaeda and him were mates? He couldn’t deny the strange feeling that overtook him when he was with Komaeda. 

Did he want Komaeda as a mate?

Hinata shook his head. It was a ridiculous thought. Komaeda was just interesting. There was nothing else to it. 

_____________

Hinata aimlessly wandered the enclosure, wondering what he should do for the rest of his time there. Just as he was about to lay down for a nap, he felt something fall onto his back. Panic gripped him before he recognized the feeling.

“You need to stop landing on me Nanami,” Hinata sighed as he sat down, making the cat slide down his back. 

“Why do you do that anyway?” Hinata asked as the cat let out a large yawn. 

“... It’s fun,” she said. Nanami stretched languidly. Hinata couldn’t help remembering what Komaeda had said about his past. 

“So you and Komaeda grew up together?” Hinata decided to strike up a conversation. Nanami lazily nodded. 

“Yeah. I was a kitten when I met him,” she said. 

“What was he like when you two first met? You know… After he got rescued,” Hinata mumbled. Nanami’s eyes widened slightly. 

“He told you?” Hinata nodded at her question. Nanami smiled at him. 

“That’s great. The only other animal that knows is me. He must trust you a lot,” Nanami purred. Hinata felt heat rush through him. Komaeda trusted him? Why him?

“He was very skittish at first. He didn’t want to leave his bed. I tried playing with him a few times but he just squealed and hid. He slowly opened up to me as the days passed,” Nanami explained. Hinata nodded. 

“We played a lot of games when we were younger. I think he misses some of the toys I have,” she smiled as she reminisced. 

“He does seem to like toys,” Hinata said as he thought of the bone and ball Komaeda had gifted him. 

“Do you like toys? We should play sometime,” Nanami’s eyes lit up as she talked about it. Hinata was startled at her enthusiasm. Nanami was usually so reserved and sleepy. 

“S-Sure. If I have time,” Hinata mumbled. Nanami purred loudly. 

“All three of us should play!”

“Three?”

“Me, you, and Komaeda! We should all play sometime,” Nanami said. Hinata hummed. The idea sounded pleasant. 

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

______________

Hinata patiently waited at the edge of his enclosure. He had just gotten let back in and was waiting for Komaeda. The fox had said he was going to be late so it wasn’t surprising to see that he wasn’t there. 

Hinata stretched lazily. Nanami had left to go spend time with Sonia after they talked and Hinata spent the day exploring the large enclosure. He was still astounded by how much space there was. 

Hinata stiffened up as he smelled a familiar scent. He shook his head. His nose must be playing tricks on him. There was no way he would be here. 

Hinata stared into the dark forest beyond his enclosure. He could hear subtle rustling. A flash of red made Hinata gasp. 

“Kamukura?” 

His suspicions were confirmed as the black wolf stepped out of the darkness. His red eyes were striking against his black fur. 

“I didn’t think you would have let yourself be caught by humans, Hinata,” Kamukura’s monotone voice was the same as Hinata remembered. Hinata scoffed. 

“It’s not like I wanted to. I got injured,” Hinata wrinkled his nose. He hated looking weak in front of his brother. 

“What’re you doing here anyways?” Hinata asked. 

“Looking for you,” Kamukura spoke calmly. Hinata tilted his head. 

“What? Why?” 

“I picked up your scent and realized you were alone. I’ve started my own pack,” Kamukura said. Hinata growled slightly. Of course, Kamukura was able to make his own pack while he was just a failure. 

“So what? Did you just come here to gloat?” Hinata asked. 

“What point would there be in that? I want you to join me,” Kamukura remained completely emotionless as he spoke. 

“J-Join you?”

“Become part of my pack. I need more members.” Before Hinata could answer, another voice chimed in. 

“Who is this?”

Hinata snapped his head to the side. Komaeda was standing on the other side of the fence, looking at Kamukura. Kamukura drew his lips back in a snarl. 

“Ah! Are you Hinata’s brother? You two look similar,” Komaeda didn’t seem to recognize the threatening gleam in Kamukura’s eyes. 

“Don’t speak to me, human toy,” Kamukura narrowed his eyes. Hinata felt his fur prickle at the way Kamukura spoke. 

“L-Look. I’ll be out of here in six days. Let me think about it,” Hinata said. Kamukura’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Six days. That is all you will get,” his voice was low as he turned and walked back into the dark woods. Hinata looked to Komaeda as he scrambled under the fence. 

“That’s amazing Hinata! Your brother seems as strong as you,” Komaeda’s voice was as cheerful as ever. 

Hinata couldn’t share in that cheerful mood. If he followed Kamukura he wouldn’t be able to bring Komaeda with him. He looked at the white fox as he pulled him close with his paw. 

“Are you okay, Hinata?” Komaeda asked as Hinata licked him. 

Hinata didn’t respond. He needed to make a decision. But which was right? He couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something important. Something important about Komaeda that could affect all his plans. 

His mind was chaotic as he brought Komaeda into his den to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Hinata's mind was a complete mess. 

All he could think about was what Kamukura had said the night before. Komaeda was happily chattering away as they walked together but it did nothing to distract Hinata from his dilemma. 

Should he take Komaeda with him and live with him or go with Kamukura?

Both options had an appeal to him. He could take Komaeda away from this place and explore with him. He could show the little fox all the things he had experienced. If he went with Kamukura, Komaeda couldn’t go with him. He couldn’t deny missing his old pack life and Kamukura was a strong wolf. If Hinata went with him he wouldn’t have to worry about being hungry which may be different if it was just Komaeda and him. 

“Hinata? Are you all right?” Komaeda’s concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He shook himself to try and concentrate. 

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine,” Hinata said. Komaeda looked at him doubtfully. 

“You have something on your mind. If you trust trash like me I would be glad to listen,” the fox said. Hinata shook his head. 

“Komaeda… About last night. I’m sorry about Kamukura,” Hinata sighed. He had wanted to apologize for his brother since the night before but his mind was too jumbled to get the words out. 

“Hm? Why are you apologizing?” Komaeda tilted his head. 

“W-Well what he said about you. I’m sorry about that.”

“Why should you apologize if what he said was true?” Hinata looked at the fox as he finished speaking. Komaeda didn’t seem offended at all. 

“Why do you keep talking like that?” Hinata growled. Komaeda’s self-deprecation never seemed to end. 

Before Komaeda could answer, someone interrupted them. 

“Hinata! There you are!” Mioda flew right to Hinata and landed on his head. Hinata huffed. He really shouldn’t be used to this. 

“Hinata! It’s band practice! Come join!” Mioda flapped her wings in excitement. 

“Band?” Hinata tilted his head. 

“Wolves howl right? Ibuki asked Owari but she’s too busy getting beat up by Nidai,” Mioda explained. She jumped on his head before flying in the air. 

“Come on, come on! If you don’t come I’m gonna bite you!” Hinata flinched at the idea. Before he could respond, Mioda began to fly away. Hinata had to run to keep up with the bat. He sighed in relief when he saw Komaeda running alongside him. 

However, Komaeda soon began to fall behind as he desperately tried to keep up. Hinata slowed down slightly to reach over and grab the fox by the scruff. He picked up his speed when Komaeda was securely in his jaws. Komaeda made a noise of appreciation. 

By the time Mioda stopped flying, Hinata’s chest was heaving. He placed Komaeda on the ground before flopping on the ground, panting heavily. Komaeda licked his face as he caught his breath. 

When Hinata opened his eyes, he was surprised at the animals he saw. Nanami was laying on the ground and Saionji was next to her. Ibuki was hopping on the ground in excitement. 

“What’s going on?” Hinata asked as he caught his breath. 

“This is my band! Ibuki sings and Nanami has offered her pretty meows! Saionji is going to dance and you’re going to howl!” Mioda explained with a happy flap of her wings. 

“Why do I have to spend time with that big nasty wolf? I had to leave Koizumi for this!” The swan complained. It seemed she still hadn’t forgiven him for when he jumped in the lake. 

“How about we dedicate the first one to Koizumi then… Hinata you can sit out on the first try to see how it works,” Nanami said as she stretched. Hinata nodded as he watched them all get ready. 

He immediately regretted coming when it started. 

Mioda let out a blood-curdling sound that seemed to echo in Hinata’s mind. Nanami’s soft meows didn’t fit with her screeching at all and Saionji’s elegant movements only added to the entire confusing mess. 

Hinata was ready to claw his ears off. When it ended, he felt immediate relief. 

“Wow! That was truly a wonderful performance!” Komaeda exclaimed. Hinata stared at him in shock. 

“Come on, Hinata! Join in!” Mioda seemed ready to continue screaming. 

“Y-You know, I-I have something to do. Yeah, uh, Nidai wanted me! That’s right!” Hinata desperately tried to come up with an excuse as he slowly backed away. Slowly backing away soon turned into sprinting. 

He could hear Saionji complain as he ran at top speed. If he had to listen to another session of that he was sure he was going to lose his hearing. He skidded to a halt when he realized he left Komaeda there. 

He knew that if he returned he would either be bitten or have to listen to another session. He sighed as he realized Komaeda would just have to find him. As he caught his breath, he caught sight of a familiar animal. 

Sonia moved with grace as she approached him. Hinata marveled at the lack of fear in her eyes. Wolves always hunted deer. Sonia should be afraid of him. 

“Hello, Hinata. Do you happen to know where Nanami is?” The deer asked. 

“She’s… Busy,” Hinata said, afraid that Sonia would ask him to walk her there if he said he knew. 

“I see. You seem out of breath. Is everything alright?” Sonia asked. Hinata shook his fur as he straightened up. 

“Yeah. I’m alright,” Hinata grunted. 

“I see. Would it be alright if we spoke for a bit? At least until Nanami finds me,” the deer asked. Hinata tilted his head in confusion but nodded. Every movement Sonia made seemed elegant and beautiful. She laid on the grass next to Hinata. 

“You seem rather troubled. Are you sure everything is alright?” Sonia asked. 

“Um… Well, not everything is alright,” Hinata grumbled. He didn’t know whether he should talk to Sonia about his thoughts, but something about the deer just seemed so calming. 

“I’m… Debating with myself. My brother visited me last night and offered me a spot in his pack. However, I also want to bring Komaeda with me,” Hinata sighed. Sonia seemed startled at the mention of Komaeda. 

“Bring him with you? Have you spoken to him about this?” The deer asked. 

“No. Why?” Hinata was confused at the sad look that overtook Sonia’s expression. 

“I believe you should speak with him. Your decision may be easier than you first thought,” Sonia said. Hinata tilted his head in confusion. Why would his decision be easier? 

Hinata shook his head. Talking to Komaeda was probably a good idea. He could help him think through his options. 

“You… Care deeply for Komaeda, don’t you?” Sonia asked. Hinata felt his body heat up as he nodded. 

“That’s good. Komaeda is generally liked by most of us, but he is not particularly close to anyone except Nanami. I think he is rather lonesome,” Sonia said. Hinata nodded. He could see that most of the animals cared for him, but Komaeda didn’t seem to have anyone asking him to spend time with them. 

“Hinata… I believe you may have more options than two. Please carefully think through your decision.” Hinata was surprised at how serious Sonia was. He didn’t know why his decision seemed so important to her.

He shook his head. He just had to make a decision. That was all. 

_________________

Hinata trotted towards his den. He knew Komaeda would already be waiting for him. He had spent the day talking with Sonia. She seemed pretty strange when he got to know her, having a hyper fixation on human things. 

Hinata couldn’t help the smile that took over his face as he saw Komaeda. The fox’s white fur was very noticeable. Hinata tilted his head as he saw the fox had something in his mouth. 

When Komaeda spotted him, his tail began to wag and he stood up. As Hinata approached he realized that they were flowers. 

“Hinata! You said that you liked my scent. I thought you may like the flowers from my enclosure,” Komaeda seemed shy as he pawed the flowers closer. 

Hinata leaned down and gave them a sniff. The scent of the flowers was just like Komaeda. He smiled at the gesture. Komaeda was a good animal to have around. However, he couldn’t understand why the scent of the flowers didn’t seem as appealing as Komaeda’s scent. 

“Thanks, Komaeda. I’ll put them in my den,” Hinata smiled as he bent down to pick them up. Komaeda’s tail wagged as he walked into the den with Hinata. 

Hinata couldn’t help but feel like the den wasn’t just his anymore. His scent had intermingled with Komaeda’s since the fox had been sleeping here more and more. The thought brought a warm feeling to his chest. 

He set the flowers around his nest and his tail wagged at the arrangement. Komaeda also seemed happy. Komaeda walked up to him and began licking at his chest. Hinata rubbed his face against the small fox and brought him closer to groom him. 

All his bad thoughts just seemed to disappear when he was around Komaeda. He had begun to associate the fox with happiness and safety. The fox purred happily as he licked and nuzzled against Hinata’s chest fur. Hinata pulled him as close as possible to get some sleep. 

It was only as he fell asleep did he realize that he didn’t talk to Komaeda about his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important!!! I will not be uploading next week because I will not be at home. I’m going on a trip so I won’t be able to update any of my stories next week. However, when I am back everything will go back to its normal schedule. I hope you all have a great week!


	17. Chapter 17

The fall leaves crunched beneath Hinata’s paws as he walked. As usual, Komaeda was next to him. Hinata watched as the white fox leaped into a pile of the fallen leaves, scattering them to the wind. Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Only four more days until you can leave Hinata,” Komaeda said. Hinata couldn’t help but notice that the fox’s tail wasn’t wagging. He was used to it going wild any time Komaeda was excited

“Yeah. I guess,” Hinata mumbled. He had already decided that he would be taking Komaeda with him. However, he had not talked to the fox yet. He knew he should, but he was scared that he would say no. 

“What do you think you’re doing, fiends?” A deep voice made Hinata lookup. The owl, Tanaka, was sitting in the tree above them. Komaeda looked up and his tail began to wag. 

“Tanaka! How’re the devas doing?” Komaeda asked as the bird landed on the ground. Hinata tilted his head. Devas?

“Kehehe. You are interested in their beauty, aren’t you? However, my devas are beasts in disguise. You must be careful,” Tanaka spoke. When he finished he flared his wings revealing… were those butterflies? 

Four different butterflies flew around Tanaka. All of the butterflies had different colors and patterns. Hinata noticed that they refused to stray far from Tanaka. Komaeda excitedly watched them fly and giggled as one landed on his nose. Seeing Komaeda giggling made Hinata feel that strange feeling again. 

“How do you get them to follow you?” Hinata asked. The wolf had never heard of butterflies sticking to a bird before. 

“My devas have noticed my power as the supreme overlord of ice! They have forged a contract with me and will serve me until the day they return to the underworld,” Tanaka rambled. Hinata couldn’t understand what he was saying. 

Komaeda’s tail swished the leaves as it wagged. Hinata noticed that some of the leaves were sticking. He’d have to groom him later. Hinata looked up at the tree. There was a hole there. _I guess that’s Tanaka’s nest._

A gust of wind ruffled Hinata’s fur. Hinata tilted his head as he saw something flutter out. A feather? Tanaka seemed to notice and quickly flew into the air, taking the feather and returning it to the tree. 

“Wasn’t that Souda’s feather?” Hinata asked Komaeda. Komaeda chuckled. “I believe Souda’s crush may not be as one-sided as it seems,” Komaeda giggled. The two watched Tanaka as he returned to the ground. 

“I apologize. That was one of my belongings from hell. It would be to your benefit that you forget it entirely,” Tanaka’s feathers flared. Hinata couldn’t help but be amused by the display. 

“If you excuse me, I believe the dark lady is waiting for my presence,” Tanaka said and with a flourish, he flew off. Hinata watched the owl as he left. Tanaka was… Odd to say the least. 

“With how they interact, I assumed Tanaka and Sonia would be interested in each other,” Hinata said. Komaeda shook his head. “They are close, but they both have their eyes on others,” the fox said as he got up and shook his fur. 

“Wait, you have some leaves in your tail,” Hinata said as he laid down and scooped the fox into his chest fur. As usual, Komaeda stiffened at first but then relaxed. Hinata leaned down and started picking the leaves out of Komaeda’s soft tail. 

It didn’t take long for Hinata to feel the gentle rasp of Komaeda’s tongue as he groomed his chest fur. Komaeda’s flowery scent surrounded Hinata. Something was calming about the weird fox. He still found Komaeda to be rather odd but he felt a strange connection between the two of them. 

“Why do you spend so much time with me, Hinata,” Komaeda’s voice broke the silence. Hinata stopped in his grooming at the question. 

“Uh… I don’t know. I want to understand you, I guess,” Hinata said. He didn’t know how to answer the question. Hinata didn’t really understand why himself. 

“I believe it is a waste of time to try and understand trash like me. I am only a human toy after all,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata flinched at the words. Kamukura’s words seemed to be haunting Komaeda as well. 

“No, you’re not. You can live in the wild. It’s not your fault that the humans kept you,” Hinata said. Komaeda looked up at Hinata. His expression was sad. 

“You are truly kind Hinata. There’s so much hope sleeping inside you. You really are a wild animal,” Komaeda forced a chuckle. Hinata noticed that Komaeda steered the conversation away from him, but he decided to let him. If Komaeda wasn’t comfortable talking about something, he shouldn’t force him. 

However, Hinata couldn’t stop feeling like there was something very important he was missing. 

___________________

Hinata happily trotted into his enclosure. He had grown used to this place and was always excited to spend more time with Komaeda at the end of the day. Being alone with him always made Hinata feel nice. 

Hinata stopped and smiled when he saw the fox. Komaeda was rolling around on the ground with the ball in his mouth. When he noticed him, Komaeda shot up and ran to Hinata. 

“Hinata! Are you in the mood to play?” Komaeda asked after he dropped the ball. The fox’s eyes were wide with excitement. Hinata nodded slightly. Komaeda immediately grasped the ball in his mouth. Hinata watched as he turned his head and rabidly swung it back, letting go of the ball. 

Hinata’s natural instincts kicked in. He immediately ran after the ball. Hinata was surprised by how much it bounced and guessed that was why Komaeda liked it so much. The bouncing made the ball unpredictable, but Hinata successfully caught it in his mouth. 

Komaeda’s excited squealing signaled his arrival. “Amazing job, Hinata!” The fox’s tail wagged. Komaeda was staring at him expectantly and Hinata guessed that he should throw the ball. He copied Komaeda’s movements and watched as Komaeda tore after the ball. 

Hinata took the time to analyze the little fox. Komaeda had low stamina so he wouldn’t be the best during hunts. However, Hinata could imagine him stalking his prey and then attacking. Komaeda’s small size would be beneficial in the wild. Komaeda had some things that would help when they left together. 

Komaeda ram back to Hinata with the ball clasped in his mouth. Hinata knew that even if Komaeda had nothing going for him in the wild, Hinata would still take him. 

___________________

Both of them were panting by the time they were done playing. They started by simply throwing the ball but it soon evolved into seeing who could get the ball faster. 

Komaeda’s small chest heaved as he caught his breath. Hinata licked at the fox’s chest to help him breathe. He was relieved when the fox’s breathing evened out. 

Hinata pulled the fox close once again. The warm feeling was back full force. The feeling was strange, but it was nice. He thought back to what Sonia said about the feeling. 

Love. Is that what it was?

Hinata felt the urge to nibble on Komaeda. Nibbling was a sign of love and endearment for wolves. Even with it being so intimate, he felt safe doing it. He leaned down to Komaeda’s face and gently nibbled his cheek. 

Komaeda stiffened slightly but allowed the nibbling. Hinata was careful to not get near the fox’s eyes. Komaeda’s small body relaxed into the nibbling. Hinata felt warmth flood his body. 

Hinata felt strong as he pulled Komaeda as close as possible. He could protect Komaeda. Komaeda was allowing the intimate exchange. Did this mean Hinata stood a chance? Maybe Komaeda felt the same way. 

“This is a rather strange way to go about eating me Hinata,” Komaeda broke the silence. Hinata leaped back at the comment. 

“Wh-What? That’s not what I was doing!” Hinata exclaimed. Then he realized. 

_Right. Different species._

“Oh. Then what were you trying to do?” Komaeda tilted his head. Hinata felt embarrassment flood him. He couldn’t just say it!

“U-Uh. I was just, you know, scratching you. Yeah,” Hinata laughed awkwardly. Komaeda looked at him as if he was analyzing him. Hinata felt nervousness flood his body. 

“I see. I’m sorry for stopping it then,” Komaeda finally spoke. Hinata sighed in relief. However, there was still a feeling of disappointment lingering. 

“L-let's get some sleep,” Hinata suggested. Komaeda nodded and tried to stand up. Hinata watched as the fox’s legs trembled and he fell back down. Hinata felt concerned for the fox as he struggled to stand up again and failed. 

Without speaking, Hinata grabbed Komaeda by the scruff and picked him up. Komaeda squealed in surprise before relaxing as Hinata walked towards their den. Hinata had grown used to Komaeda’s poor stamina. 

He gently placed Komaeda into their nest and curled up around him. Komaeda was pressed close to him. He could feel Komaeda’s breathing and he smiled at the feeling. Komaeda didn’t have to worry about collapsing anymore. Hinata would always be there to pick him up. 

Hinata let the feeling of Komaeda’s breathing pull him to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Hinata had grown used to the calm days spent with Komaeda. The little fox was currently rolling around in the fallen leaves, giggling softly. Hinata let out a large yawn. 

_Three more days._

Hinata still needed to talk to Komaeda about his plan. He always seemed to forget about it. But Hinata knew the reason why he kept forgetting. He was scared. He was scared that the fox wouldn’t come with him, scared that Kamukura might do something if he found out, and scared that he wouldn’t be able to fully protect Komaeda. 

He was taken out of his thoughts by something landing on his back. He sighed as he felt the claws sheathe. Nanami slipped off his back and let out a yawn. 

“Komaeda, let’s play,” Nanami padded over to Komaeda and patted his head. Komaeda turned his head to Hinata. Nanami jerked her head, telling him to get up. Hinata sighed as he got up and shook the leaves from his fur. 

“How about hide and seek?” Nanami asked. Hinata noticed that the cat seemed excited. He was used to her not responding to anything. 

“Hide and seek?” Hinata tilted his head. 

“It’s a game where one animal has to find the others as they hide. Don’t worry, it’s simple,” Komaeda explained. Nanami nodded and head-butted Hinata. 

“You’re the seeker. Komaeda and I will hide. You need to close your eyes and count to fifty,” Nanami meowed. The look in Nanami’s eyes told him that he couldn’t refuse. 

Hinata flopped onto the ground and started counting. He could hear Komaeda and Nanami’s pawsteps as they ran off. This was the first time he had ever played a game like this. He was used to chasing and play fighting with Kamukura. 

Hinata felt his peace interrupted again at the thought of his brother. Kamukura didn’t like Komaeda at all. The white fox didn’t stand a chance if Hinata brought him to the pack. He needed to talk to Komaeda about everything soon. 

When the count was up, Hinata stood up and sniffed at the ground. He was surprised to find the scents cut off at trees. They just have climbed them to hide their trail. Hinata admired their creativity. 

Hinata began to sneak around the enclosure. His ears were pricked and he continued to use his nose in hopes of catching the scent of one of the two. Hinata would catch small smells of one of them only for the trail to disappear again. 

An unexpected sound made Hinata jerk up. He concentrated on the sound to try to understand what it was. Hinata ran to where the sound was coming from and skidded to a halt. 

Komaeda was crouched on the ground, coughing violently. His small body shook with the force of his coughs. Hinata ran to him and began to lick at the fox’s chest, trying to stimulate his breathing. Komaeda’s coughing eased somewhat. 

Nanami came crashing out of the bushes and ran to Komaeda’s side. She sniffed at him and rapidly licking at his neck. Komaeda’s coughing gradually slowed. 

“I’m sorry,” Hinata cringed at the raspiness of Komaeda’s voice. It sounded grating as if he hadn’t drunk in a while. Nanami stroked his back with his tail and helped him stand up. 

“Come on. You need to see Monomi,” Nanami’s voice was gentle and concerned. Komaeda shook his head. 

“I’m fine. I just need to rest for a bit,” Komaeda rasped. Hinata didn’t know what to do. He wanted to check Komaeda over but he didn’t know what to do. 

“It’s not severe Komaeda. Monomi won’t take you to the vet for this. She’ll probably just give you some medicine,” Nanami licked the fox’s face. Komaeda’s body shuddered and he looked like he was about to argue but another cough stopped him. 

“If she’ll fix you, you need to go,” Hinata decided to speak up. Komaeda’s gray eyes opened and looked at him for a bit before nodding. Nanami nodded to Hinata as if acknowledging him and led Komaeda away. 

Hinata felt his fur rise. He didn’t know what to do about Komaeda’s cough. What if something like that happened when they left? What would Hinata do? 

He started running. He didn’t know why he was running, but he knew he needed to move. It was like he was trying to run away from those thoughts. His mind was a complete mess. 

Would he be able to protect Komaeda when they left? What if something more severe happened? Thoughts raced through the wolf’s head and he skidded to a halt. No matter how fast he ran, he wouldn’t be able to run away from these thoughts. 

“What are you doing?” A soft voice made Hinata lookup. Pekoyama stood before him, her red eyes observing him. Hinata tried to catch his breath. Pekoyama patiently waited. 

“Just running,” Hinata lied. He didn’t want to talk about his thoughts. All Hinata wanted was to be happy. He found someone who he could be happy with and now he was questioning whether he would actually be able to live that life. 

Pekoyama didn’t move from her spot. Her gaze was intimidating and Hinata expected her to attack him. “Did something happen to Komaeda?” She sat down gracefully. 

Hinata looked at the lynx in shock. “How did you know?” Pekoyama licked at her paw and rubbed it against her face. 

“You two have been rather close. You are alone now, so I could only assume,” she said. Hinata looked at the lynx in thought. Maybe talking to someone else would help clear his head. 

“Yeah he started coughing but he’ll be fine. What were you doing Pekoyama?” Hinata tilted his head. He really needed someone to talk to. If he didn’t then all he would be thinking about was his uncertain future. 

“I was trying to talk to Tsumiki,” the lynx said. Her eyes drifted to the ground. Hinata was surprised to see sadness there. 

“Why were you looking for her? Are you hurt?” The bunny did seem talented when it came to injuries. He looked over Pekoyama, but he could not see any injuries. 

“I am fine. I was talking to her because she is soft,” Pekoyama explained. Hinata only felt more confused. Tsumiki was soft? Well, she did look very fluffy, but he didn’t understand. Pekoyama seemed to pick up on his confusion. 

“To protect my young master I have become strong. I’m sure I could take you on in a fight,” Pekoyama began. Hinata bristled at the comment on his strength but he felt like he didn’t want to get on the lynx’s bad side. “However, this training has made me rather intimidating. I wish to touch Tsumiki’s soft fur, but my gaze intimidates her.”

Hinata had to hold back a laugh. He didn’t mean it in a bad way, he just never expected Pekoyama to want something so cute. He also could easily imagine Tsumiki running away from Pekoyama. 

“What about Komaeda? His fur is very soft,” Hinata spoke from experience. He had spent many nights now with his nose tucked into Komaeda’s soft fur. 

“I seem to intimidate him as well. When I see something soft I get rather… Intense. He always tells me I can eat him when I only want to touch his fur,” Pekoyama’s eyes were narrowed. Hinata did not doubt that Komaeda had said that on multiple occasions to the lynx. 

“How about you try smiling?” Hinata suggested. Pekoyama looked at him thoughtfully. 

“Smiling… But I do not know how to smile,” the lynx gazed into the distance as if trying to understand what Hinata had said. 

“Well, how about thinking about something funny or fun,” Hinata recommended. Pekoyama looked at him and gave him a determined nod. She closed her eyes, thinking intensely. A gentle look appeared on her face. 

“There! I’m sure if you talk to Tsumiki looking like that she won’t be scared,” Hinata’s tail wagged. Pekoyama shot up, excitement shining in her eyes. 

“Then I shall right away!” Pekoyama bunched her muscles as if she was about to sprint off. 

“W-Well, it’s better to approach slowly. This is Tsumiki after all,” Hinata awkwardly said. Pekoyama’s eyes widened and she returned to a relaxed pose. 

“You are right Hinata. Thank you for this favor. If there is anything I can do for you then please let me know,” Pekoyama gave him a respectful nod and started to walk away. 

Hinata was happy that he was able to help the lynx in any way. Now that she was gone, his mind wandered back to Komaeda. He sighed. Even during his conversation with the lynx, his worries didn’t go away. 

He didn’t know what to do. He thought of Kamukura. If he went with his brother then there would be no problems. He would be safe and wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Yet, the thought disgusted Hinata. He would have to leave Komaeda to do that. 

Hinata shook his head. He was just overthinking. He could just ask Komaeda how to deal with situations like the coughing. Yeah. Everything would be alright. 

_________________

Hinata immediately sprinted to his den when he was let into his enclosure. He needed to see Komaeda and make sure the fox was okay. He skidded to a halt when he reached the den. 

Komaeda wasn’t there. Someone else was though. 

“Hey, Hinata,” Nanami yawned. Hinata could tell that she just woke up. Hinata felt disappointment and worry curl in his gut. Nanami immediately picked up on it. “Don’t worry. Komaeda is okay. Monomi is just keeping him inside tonight to make sure his coughing clears up.”

Hinata sighed in relief. He thought that something may have happened to the fox. Nanami’s eyes were soft as she gazed at him. 

“You really care about him, don’t you?” Nanami tilted her head. Hinata felt embarrassed. Was it that obvious?

“... Stay with him,” her voice was gentle but determined. Hinata tilted his head in confusion. “Don’t leave him. If you care about him, then stay.”

Hinata looked at the cat in confusion. Was she saying that it was okay for him to take Komaeda away? Right when he was about to ask if that’s what she meant, she opened her mouth in a big yawn. 

“I’m sleepy… I’ll see you tomorrow,” the cat sluggishly walked past him. Hinata watched her until she disappeared. He shook his head. That must be what the cat meant. She was telling him he could take Komaeda with him.

Hinata nodded to himself. No matter the hardship, he was going to stay with Komaeda. With newfound determination, he crawled into his den. 

As he settled into his nest he suddenly felt like it was too big. Komaeda’s scent hung in the air. The flowers were still there, but they held nothing to Komaeda. Komaeda came with warmth and soft fur. Something the flowers could never provide him. 

He curled up tighter. He was used to curling around Komaeda. The lack of the fox’s warmth made him feel incomplete. 

It took him much longer to fall asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating!!!!


	19. Chapter 19

The scent of dewy grass woke Hinata up. 

He groggily opened his eyes and let out a large yawn. As he shook his head he felt something against him. He almost yelped when his eyes landed on Komaeda. 

The fluffy fox was fast asleep beside him. Hinata stared at him in confusion. Komaeda definitely wasn’t there when he fell asleep. The fox had something in his mouth that Hinata couldn’t quite see. Hinata gently licked Komaeda, as if affirming he was real. 

He felt incredibly relieved knowing Komaeda was alright. Looking at his softly rising chest he felt a deep feeling of warmth grow inside him. He couldn’t wait to take Komaeda out of this place and into the wild. 

A little grumble alerted Hinata that Komaeda was awake. The fox slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head to look at Hinata and the wolf could finally see what Komaeda had in his mouth. It was a purple bone. Hinata assumed it was like the previous toy, but it looked tougher than it. 

“Morning, Hinata!” Komaeda rasped after he set the bone down. He stood up and shook his whole body. Hinata smiled at how fluffy and fuzzy he looked. 

“How did you get here? Weren’t you with Monomi?” Hinata asked. Komaeda gave him a big smile and wagged his tail. 

“Humans don’t like it when you scream at them while they’re sleeping,” Komaeda explained. Hinata wasn’t surprised at the thought. Komaeda was the type to do anything to get what he wanted. Hinata turned his attention to the bone. 

“Is this another toy?” Hinata asked with a nudge at the bone. Komaeda perked up at the mention of the toy and pushed it towards Hinata. 

“Yes! It’s a chew toy. It helps sharpen your teeth. I thought it might help you prepare for when you leave,” Komaeda’s tail wagged. Hinata used his paw to drag the bone closer to him. He looked closely at it and noticed a strange pattern.

“What is this?” Hinata nudged his nose at the pattern. Komaeda trotted over to take a close look beside Hinata. 

“Ah, apparently it’s a way humans communicate. Nanami told me that it says Happy Birthday but I don’t know what that means,” Komaeda said. Hinata hummed in understanding. There were a lot of human things he didn’t know about apparently. 

Hinata started chewing on the bone and was surprised at how satisfying it felt to chew on. Komaeda seemed happy with his response, his tail wagging. Hinata lifted his head from the toy to drag Komaeda close. Komaeda let out a tiny squeal as he was pulled into Hinata’s chest fur. 

“You chew one side and I'll chew the other,” Hinata said as he pulled the bone closer. Komaeda seemed a little surprised, but he began to chew on one side of the bone. Hinata was happy to see Komaeda enjoying gnawing on the bone. 

After a few minutes of gnawing, Komaeda stopped. Hinata tilted his head in confusion as Komaeda scrambled out of his hold. 

“Food will be given out soon. I need to get to my enclosure so Monomi doesn’t know I can get in here,” Komaeda explained. Hinata noticed that the fox had a happy smile on his face. The wolf nodded as Komaeda scrambled out of the den. 

_____________________

After Hinata had been given food he silently waited for Monomi to come by and take him to the other enclosure. He lifted his head at the sound of an excited squeal. 

Monomi was walking past with Komaeda in her arms. The little fox made excited noises as he spotted Hinata. Monomi seemed to notice and smiled as he approached Hinata’s enclosure. She leaned down close to the fence and started speaking. 

Hinata couldn’t understand what she was saying at all. He sniffed at Komaeda through the fence, making sure the human wasn’t hurting him. Monomi made a happy cooing sound and grabbed onto the line that she always used when taking him to the large enclosure. 

She secured the contraption around his neck and pulled him out of his enclosure. Hinata watched as she cautiously placed Komaeda on his back. Komaeda clung on with an excited noise. Monomi seemed to make a similar sound. 

Hinata puffed out his chest as he began walking. He felt incredibly happy having Komaeda on his back. He knew Komaeda was protected if he was there. He could feel the fox’s tail thumping against his back as it wagged. 

Monomi let out another happy noise as she let them into the large enclosure. Komaeda giggled as Hinata didn’t pull him off his back. Hinata felt a warmth flow through him as he felt Komaeda rubbing his cheek against his back. 

“What’re you, a tree?” A voice made Hinata jerk his head to the side. Kuzuryuu was on top of Pekoyama. 

“Hello!” Komaeda squealed. Hinata was about to sit down to help Komaeda off his back, but the fox clung on to him. 

“I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday, Hinata. Sonia, Nanami, Kuzuryuu, and I were planning on spending time together. Would you two like to join us?” Pekoyama asked. 

Hinata tilted his head. That seemed like an odd combination. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama both seemed strong and somewhat feisty while Sonia and Nanami were calm. Hinata could feel Komaeda’s tail thumping against his back harder. Guess that’s one party spoken for. 

“Uh… Sure I guess,” Hinata mumbled. Pekoyama gave a small nod and started walking. Hinata hurried to follow after her. Kuzuryuu and Komaeda started chatting on the way, saying something about Souda being an idiot. 

It didn’t take long for the four of them to reach a clearing. The sun was shining, bathing the area in a warm glow. Kuzuryuu jumped off Pekoyama and hopped to the two who were already there. Sonia and Nanami were close to each other, chatting. 

Hinata laid on the ground so Komaeda could safely scramble off his back. The fox licked his nose and whispered a soft thank you before trotting over to the group. Hinata felt his body heat up at the intimate gesture. 

Hinata cautiously approached the group and sat down. Nanami smiled at him and gave him a small nod. Sonia was already having a conversation with Komaeda about a new human thing she found out about while Nanami and Pekoyama were stretching out in the sunlight. 

_Guess all cats act like that._

He decided to quietly listen in on the conversation that Sonia and Komaeda were having, but he felt someone staring at him. Kuzuryuu’s stare was piercing. He didn’t expect a squirrel with one eye to be intimidating. He was determined to ignore it, but the squirrel approached him. 

“Hey. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Komaeda,” Kuzuryuu’s voice was gruff and he glared at Hinata with suspicion. 

“Uh. Y-Yeah. Is that okay?” Hinata couldn’t help being nervous. He knew it was illogical considering he was talking with a squirrel, but there was something about Kuzuryuu that scared him. He felt like the squirrel could easily attack. 

“You haven’t done anything to him right?” Kuzuryuu growled. Hinata tilted his head. 

“Uh, no?” Hinata said. He didn’t know what the squirrel was talking about. 

“Haven’t considered eating him like he says right?” The squirrel clarified. 

“N-No! Not at all. It’d feel weird to eat someone I know,” Hinata explained. Kuzuryuu settled down a bit and let out a sigh. 

“Sorry. It’s just… Komaeda’s always been a bit weird. I don’t want anything happening to him, you know?” Kuzuryuu sighed. Hinata’s eyes widened a bit. He didn’t expect the squirrel to care about Komaeda. He seemed so tough and like he didn’t care about anything. 

“Yeah. I understand. I won't hurt him,” Hinata promised. Kuzuryuu gave him a grin. 

“You’d better. Or else I’ll find you and claw out your fur myself,” Kuzuryuu joked. Hinata felt a chill go up his spine. He definitely shouldn’t mess with him. 

“So… How’d you get your injury?” Hinata decided to change the subject. He was used to asking the others how they got here but it was pretty obvious that the missing eye was the reason for Kuzuryuu. He didn’t expect the squirrel to flinch. 

“It was an accident. I can tell you, but you’d better not think less of Pekoyama!” The squirrel growled. Hinata nodded in agreement. “Pekoyama and I grew up together. Every day of my life, she was there. At first, I didn’t like it. She always felt the need to protect me when I didn’t need it. One day she was protecting me from a predator and accidentally…”

Hinata looked at the squirrel with sympathy. It was clear what happened. Kuzuryuu’s eyes were distant like he was reliving the experience. He nudged Kuzuryuu with his snout. The squirrel shook his head like he was trying to clear it. 

“Anyway, Pekoyama was already aware of this place. She knew that if she didn’t get human help then I would die. She picked me up and yowled outside the door until Monomi came and got me,” Kuzuryuu explained. “But I consider it a good thing. Pekoyama and I became closer and redefined our relationship.”

“You two are mates right?” Hinata asked. Kuzuryuu sputtered and seemed to be embarrassed at the question. 

“Y-Yeah. What about it? Do you think it’s weird since she’s so much bigger than me?!” Kuzuryuu bristled. Hinata put his head on the ground. Something about the squirrel demanded respect when he was mad. 

“No! I was just curious!” Hinata said. Kuzuryuu slowly settled down. The squirrel looked towards Pekoyama, who was spread out in the sunlight. Hinata smiled as he saw the loving look in his eyes. 

“So, how’s your relationship with Komaeda going?” Kuzuryuu asked. It took a second for the words to sink in. When they did Hinata felt embarrassment flood his body. 

“Wh-What?! We aren’t in a relationship!” Hinata exclaimed. Kuzuryuu gave him a strange look. When Hinata didn’t say anymore the squirrel got closer to him and looked him right in the eyes. 

“Don’t be an idiot! I see the way you look at him!” The squirrel growled. Hinata was taken aback by his intensity. “Tell him how you feel! Don’t hold it back! You never know if he’ll be dead years from now or tomorrow!”

Hinata's eyes were wide as the squirrel glared at him. It sounded like Kuzuryuu was talking about someone he cared about. Hinata put his head down as he thought about the words. Kuzuryuu sighed. 

“Just… Make sure you tell him. Komaeda deserves to know,” the squirrel said. Hinata looked at him. He felt a deep respect for the squirrel. Few animals in the world would stand up against a wolf. 

Hinata nodded. “I’ll tell him. I need to prepare a bit, but I’ll tell him.” Kuzuryuu gave him an approving smile. Hinata smiled back. 

“Pretty awkward that we invited you guys on a triple date though,” Kuzuryuu sighed. Hinata was silent. Then the words finally processed. 

“What?! That’s what this is?! I thought Sonia and Nanami were just friends! Aren’t they?!” Hinata bristled. Kuzuryuu looked at him for a long time, completely silent. Then the squirrel sighed. 

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah yeah new year or whatever but more importantly IT’S HAJIME HINATA’S BIRTHDAY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU GOOD BOY


	20. Chapter 20

Hinata was laying in the fallen leaves, Komaeda gently grooming him. He had one more day before it was time to leave. He had wanted to tell Komaeda today but…

Komaeda’s gentle grooming almost made him fall asleep. Komaeda was purring loudly. Hinata nuzzled into the fox’s chest, listening to the rumbling sound. Komaeda let out a surprised squeak before resuming his grooming. 

Everything was peaceful. The wind gently tugged at Hinata’s fur and cooled him down. The only sounds were the other animals in the far distance. Hinata and Komaeda were secluded all by themselves. It all felt wonderful. 

“I suppose today will be the last day I see you,” Komaeda whispered as he licked Hinata’s head. As soon as the words processed in his mind, Hinata scrambled into a sitting position. 

“Wh-What? What do you mean? Tomorrow is my last day isn’t it?” Hinata felt his fur bristle. He had it set in his mind that he would ask Komaeda tomorrow and now something new wanted to disrupt him. 

“Oh, I forgot you don’t know. The day before an animal is going to be released they are not let into this enclosure. Instead, Monomi will look you over and prepare you for the journey,” Komaeda gave him a big smile. Yet, something about it seemed forced. 

Hinata’s mind was immediately thrust into turmoil. That meant he would have to ask Komaeda tonight. Hinata felt fear spike through his body. What if Komaeda said no?

Komaeda looked at Hinata in confusion. The wolf was sure that his turmoil was clear on his face. The fox was fidgeting as if he was debating whether to approach or not. 

Hinata shook himself. He couldn’t freak out like this. He would tell Komaeda when they were truly alone in their enclosure. Right now, he should stay calm and spend time with him. Hinata leaned down to give Komaeda a reassuring lick. 

“It’s okay. Sorry. I just didn’t expect that news,” Hinata said. Komaeda purred as he rubbed his face against Hinata’s legs. Hinata gave the fox more licks, making Komaeda giggle. 

Hinata rolled onto his back, letting the fox crawl on top of him with an excited sound. Hinata used one of his paws to gently bowl the fox over. Komaeda let out a squeal of excitement. 

Hinata got up and shook his body. They should probably play right? This would be the last day they would be in this enclosure so they might as well have some fun. 

“Well since Nidai and Owari now know I’m not going to eat you, how about I chase you?” Hinata asked. Komaeda must have spent a lot of time making the tunnels in the enclosure so he wanted to be able to appreciate them before leaving. 

Komaeda’s tail wagged and nodded. Hinata smiled and gave the fox a lick. He loved seeing how excited Komaeda got at the idea of playing. He couldn’t wait to take Komaeda out into the wild so he could experience the whole world. 

Hinata stood as he let Komaeda get a head start. His tail wagged as he saw the white fox vanish into the earth. As soon as he felt that Komaeda had enough time, Hinata began to run. 

He pricked his ears and concentrated on the sounds underneath his paws. He could hear the thrumming of paws further ahead of him. He sprinted ahead but then skidded to a stop as he heard the fox veer onto a different path. 

The thrill of the hunt completely absorbed him. Yet the thrill wasn’t in getting something to eat. He was just excited for when he could groom Komaeda again. 

Further ahead, Hinata saw the white fox burst out of the ground and continue running. Hinata sprinted to him and easily caught up. He cut off Komaeda’s path and used one paw to roll the fox over.

Komaeda’s chest heaved as he breathed, but he had a satisfied expression. Hinata nuzzles against the fox’s chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart. The wolf felt his chest fill with warmth as Komaeda let out a happy giggle. 

Hinata scooped the fox into his chest fur. He had noticed that Komaeda seemed to like grooming his chest the most. Komaeda playfully pawed at the wolf’s fur, making little giggling noises as he buried his face into it. 

“Why do you like that spot the most?” Hinata decided to ask. Komaeda lifted his head from the fur and gave Hinata a big smile. 

“You have so much fur here Hinata! You could even rival Owari with your chest,” Komaeda giggled as he nuzzled back into the fur. Hinata scrunched his nose in embarrassment. “And… I can hear your heart, Hinata.”

The comment was so quiet that Hinata almost missed it. The wolf smiled and pushed Komaeda deeper into his fur. He could understand the appeal. He always liked listening or feeling Komaeda’s heart beating. 

“You’d make a really good rabbit hunter Komaeda,” Hinata blurted out. He felt the fox tilt his head. “You’re really small. I bet you could fit into rabbit dens easily. Wolves are too big.”

“Ah. I see,” the fox whispered. Hinata wondered why Komaeda didn’t comment more. He sounded distant. 

“Are you excited to be with your brother?” The question startled Hinata. The wolf shook his head to gather his thoughts. 

“Well, yeah I guess,” Hinata mumbled. He knew he could use this opportunity to ask Komaeda to leave with him, but he would prefer to do it when they were in his enclosure. Komaeda hummed a bit. 

“I hope you’ll feel like you belong,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata wondered why the fox sounded so sad. It felt like the fox wasn’t even talking to him. 

“Well… I’m sure I’ll have fun,” Hinata said. He imagined taking Komaeda to all kinds of new places. He wanted the fox to see all parts of the wild. Hinata smiled. 

Yet he couldn’t help the feeling of dread stirring in his stomach. 

__________________

Hinata had everything prepared in his head. He knew exactly how he was going to ask the fox. He rehearsed all the questions Komaeda could ask and all the answers he would give in response. 

When he was let into his enclosure, Hinata started sprinting to his den. As usual, the white fox was waiting outside his den. Komaeda made a happy squealing sound as Hinata approached and gave him a lick. 

Hinata laid on the ground and pulled the fox close. Komaeda made a sound of surprise. He was used to Hinata taking him into the den if they were going to lay together. 

“There’s so much to see in the wild, Komaeda,” Hinata got right into the subject. Komaeda looked at him curiously. “There are so many things out there. It’s a lot of fun adventuring and seeing everything.”

Komaeda’s eyes stayed on Hinata’s face. The wolf couldn’t help the nervousness bubbling in his stomach. He needed this proposal to be perfect. 

“I think you’d really like it out there. I can imagine you running through the woods or climbing lots of trees,” Hinata giggled. He had so many images of Komaeda in the wild in his head. Hinata felt Komaeda curl up tighter. 

“So… S-Since I’m leaving and all, I thought…” Hinata trailed off. He felt fear course through him. What if Komaeda didn’t like him the same way? What if he couldn’t protect him? Hinata shook his head. He couldn’t let that hold him back. 

“Komaeda. I really like you. I want to spend a lot more time with you. So, I thought of a way we can stay together. I want to take you into the wild with me. When I’m let out, we can both work on digging at your fence until you can get out. It’ll be easy with two of us,” Hinata stared at the fox, hopefully. The fear came back full force at what he saw. 

Komaeda had a sad expression on his face. His ears were pressed against his head and he was staring at the ground. Hinata got into a sitting position. “K-Komaeda?”

“Ah… How despairing this is,” Komaeda mumbled. His eyes were still stuck staring at the ground. 

“Wh-What do you mean?” Hinata stuttered. The cold fear took over his whole body. Komaeda liked him, right? “C-Come on Komaeda. I’m being serious. This isn’t the time to joke around.”

“I know you’re being serious Hinata. That’s what makes this so much harder,” Komaeda whispered. The fox stood up and finally looked up at Hinata. His eyes were full of sadness. “I can’t go with you Hinata.”

“What? D-Did I do something wrong? Why don’t you want to go?” Hinata blurted out. He had expected the fox to ask questions, not refuse him. Komaeda shook his head. 

“I never said I didn’t want to go. I said I can’t,” Komaeda said. His eyes were wet with tears as he looked at the wolf. “I’m sick, Hinata.”

“S-Sick?” Hinata’s voice sounded hollow. He felt like all the air was taken from his lungs. How could Komaeda be sick?

“I’ve been sick since I was born. That’s why I was thrown aside. My mother was sure I was going to die. Even now, my body is weak. If I go into the wild, I will not last long,” Komaeda explained. His voice was dead as he spoke. “This sickness makes everything affect me more. One cut could lead to my death. One illness will destroy me.”

Hinata felt like the world had stopped around him. His eyes were wide and he couldn’t think of anything to say. Komaeda gave him another sad look. 

“You’re much better without me, Hinata. I’ll always be cheering for you. But you should forget about me,” Komaeda turned away from Hinata. The fox walked in the direction of the hole he had dug. The fox cast one final glance back. “Good luck, Hinata.”

Hinata felt like his paws were rooted to the spot. He simply watched the fox until he vanished from his sight. The wolf collapsed onto the ground. He felt tears gather in his eyes. 

He curled up on the cold ground. He could feel the tears spilling from his eyes. He could still smell Komaeda. 

In one swoop, everything Hinata had hoped for was taken away.


	21. Chapter 21

Hinata was locked in a cage, his fur bristling. The previous day had been full of the human looking him over and nothing else. He had spent the whole night by Komaeda’s fence but the fox never showed up. 

Bright light streamed into the dark. The human had opened whatever thing she had put Hinata’s cage into and was now pulling it out and onto the ground. Hinata watched in anticipation as she opened the cage. 

As soon as it was opened he bolted out. He ran as fast as he could so the human couldn’t catch him again. It was only when he was certain that he skidded to a halt, panting. Cautiously lifting his nose, the wolf sniffed and looked around. 

This area was familiar. He wasn’t far from the enclosure and was instead close to where his old den was. Hinata did not need that den anymore. His plan of living with Komaeda was shut down. That left him one more option. 

Hinata lifted his muzzle and let out a long howl. He kept his ears pricked as he finished and was grateful to hear a responding howl. There was no doubt. It was Kamukura. 

Hinata ran in the direction he heard the howl. Kamukura helped him by letting out another howl. It didn’t take long for Hinata to spot the black wolf. He trotted up to his brother and stood in front of him. 

“So you came after all,” Kamukura’s sounded disinterested as usual. Hinata felt his fur bristle at his brother’s words. 

“Of course I came,” Hinata huffed. Saying it out loud didn’t help him believe it. The wolf was miserable. Everything he wanted was taken away from him in one conversation. 

Kamukura didn’t respond to his comment and simply began walking. Hinata tried to keep his nerves under control. He didn’t know how big Kamukura’s pack was or what wolves were in it. 

Hinata chose to use his nose as a distraction. The smells of the forest were different from when he was in the enclosures. There were lots of smells in those enclosures from plants and flowers Hinata had never seen before. At the thought of flowers, a white fox entered his mind. Hinata quickly shook his head. 

“Kamukura!” A voice rang out and almost made Hinata jump. A pretty blonde wolf was running towards the two of them. Her blue eyes were bright, but something about them unsettled him. 

“Enoshima. You shouldn’t be out on your own,” Kamukura growled. His red eyes were narrowed as if he was used to this wolf’s behavior.

“Aww, do you not trust me Kamukura? You’re so mean,” Enoshima practically wailed. Her voice had pitched up and she was giving Kamukura a look that resembled a kicked puppy. “You know how hopelessly bored I get. I can’t be stuck in one place.”

“You should know to follow my orders,” Kamukura snarled. Hinata was on edge. There was something about the blonde wolf that made him extremely uncomfortable. That feeling only intensified when her eyes landed on him. 

“You must be Kamukura’s brother. I’m Enoshima!” The blonde wolf approached him and sniffed at his pelt. Hinata cautiously sniffed back. He couldn’t help feeling tense as she kept her eyes on him. 

“Come on, Hinata. I’ll help you meet the others,” Enoshima giggled. Hinata would rather have anyone else.

“That is not your decision to make,” Kamukura glared. Enoshima huffed and walked ahead. 

“Don't be so mean, Kamukura,” she mumbled as she trotted ahead. Hinata felt overwhelmed being in her presence and was glad when she ran ahead. He looked at his brother questioningly but Kamukura simply walked ahead. 

The two of them approached a clearing and Hinata let out a surprised sound. Kamukura had gathered a decent sized pack already. It only reminded Hinata how much better his brother was. 

“Introduce yourself as you wish. These will be your pack mates now,” Kamukura said before walking to a small group of wolves. Hinata sighed. It was always like Kamukura to leave him alone. 

Hinata didn’t know where to start. Making introductions sounded easy, but when faced with so many wolves he felt himself freeze up. He was reminded of when he met the others at the enclosure. It seemed so much easier there. 

“Hinata!” The voice made Hinata tense up. Enoshima trotted up to him with a big smile. “Come, come! You must meet my sister!” Before Hinata had the opportunity to respond, Enoshima practically dragged him to another wolf. 

Hinata would never have guessed that this wolf was Enoshima’s sister. She was a black wolf with lighter spots on her cheeks. Her eyes were intense and she looked strong. 

“This is Ikusaba, my worthless sister,” Enoshima exclaimed. Hinata stared at the blonde wolf in shock. Ikusaba, however, did not seem fazed. 

“You must be Hinata. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Ikusaba’s voice was flat, reminding Hinata of his brother. Hinata cautiously sniffed the black wolf and she did the same. 

“I thought you might as well meet her sooner rather than later. She’s a good hunter. I guess that makes up for the lack of brains,” Enoshima chuckled. Hinata was startled at how Ikusaba bowed her head to Enoshima. 

“Thank you for your praise, sister,” the black wolf said. Hinata had never met a more bizarre pair of siblings. Enoshima looked at him with interest in her eyes. 

“Must have been hard growing up being Kamukura’s brother,” Enoshima said. Hinata looked at her in shock and tilted his head. “Well, being siblings with someone good at everything must be hard. It makes you feel small, right?”

Hinata gaped at her. He didn’t expect anyone to be able to tell his feelings so easily. He was used to keeping those thoughts and feelings locked away. 

“Y-Yeah, I guess,” Hinata mumbled. He was embarrassed and nervous around Enoshima. The blonde wolf let out a giggle. 

“Don’t worry, Hinata. I won't judge you! Having expectations leads to hope,” Enoshima giggled. Hinata felt himself tense up as she got in his face. “Who needs something as useless as that?”

Hinata felt fear flood his body. There was something about Enoshima that was incredibly terrifying. Hinata felt like he was going to be crushed under her gaze. 

“Don’t worry Hinata. I’ll take good care of you here.”

_____________________

Introductions didn’t last long. Enoshima gleefully brought him around and introduced him to everyone. All the wolves were polite, but there was something odd about their behavior. Specifically around Enoshima. It was like they were worshipping the ground she walked on. 

The only one who seemed unaffected by this was Kamukura. He had no problem telling her off or confronting her. Hinata didn’t know how he was able to do it. Being in Enoshima’s presence felt almost deadly. 

“Food is here, Hinata!” Enoshima exclaimed. She had barely left his side and wouldn’t stop talking. Hinata looked up and saw a group of wolves pulling along a piece of prey. 

Hinata swallowed thickly. It was a female deer. Ikusaba stopped to speak to Kamukura before pulling the deer into the middle of the clearing. The wolves gathered around the prey and happily began eating. 

Yet, Hinata felt rooted to the spot. The deer reminded him of Sonia. He could imagine her excited face and calming voice. He felt his legs tremble. 

“What are you doing, Hinata?” Enoshima’s voice was frightfully close. Her intense eyes seemed to stare into his soul. “You lived with humans, right? Did you have a friend like that?”

Hinata shivered at her tone. It was dark and cold. Pure malice was dripping from her every word. Enoshima stared at him for a few more seconds before trotting over to the carcass. She ripped off one of the legs from the deer and brought it back to him. 

“Come on, Hinata. Eat it,” her voice was dark as she spoke. Hinata shook his head. He could imagine the leg being Sonia’s. Enoshima got close again. “Are you a coward, Hinata? You won’t be able to survive like this, you know? Are you going to sit back and starve to death?”

Hinata’s whole body was shaking at this point. Enoshima’s look felt so threatening. He felt like he had no choice. Hinata cautiously took a bite out of the leg, his eyes screwed shut. 

“That’s good, Hinata!” Enoshima exclaimed. Hinata felt like he was going to throw up. What was going on? He was supposed to be better off here? Why is this happening?

“Are you in despair, Hinata?” Enoshima asked darkly. Hinata trembled. That’s what he was feeling. Despair. “It feels good right? Not having to hope for anything. Come on Hinata. Give in to that feeling. Give yourself to me.”

Enoshima’s words felt like poison. Hinata only knew this wolf for a day and yet it felt like she could see everything going on in his head. The way she spoke was so persuasive yet horrifying. Hinata felt true despair in her presence. 

“That’s enough,” the deep voice brought Hinata out of the darkness that seemed to swirl in Enoshima’s eyes. Kamukura was approaching the two of them and got between them. 

“Come on, Kamukura! I’m just playing with him,” Enoshima whined. Kamukura’s eyes narrowed and his lips drew back in a snarl. Enoshima seemed slightly taken aback before smiling sinisterly. “So even after everything, you still care for your brother,” the blonde wolf whispered before walking away. 

Hinata gasped as she left. It felt like the previous choking feeling was leaving. Yet the air still felt heavy. Toxic. Kamukura didn’t speak as Hinata caught his breath.

“It is almost time to settle down for the night. Come on. You can sleep in my den,” Kamukura huffed. Hinata hurriedly stood up and ran up to Kamukura as he walked. 

“Kamukura, what is wrong with her? Wh-What was she doing?” Hinata asked. Kamukura’s red eyes were as emotionless as ever as he responded. 

“It’s her skill. Manipulation.” Before Hinata could ask anything more, Kamukura walked into a den in the ground. Hinata scrambled to follow him. The den was dark and he could only hear Kamukura as he settled down. 

Hinata settled down next to his brother, their fur brushing. He laid his head down on his paws. He felt his brother’s breathing even out as he slept. Yet, Hinata couldn’t sleep. 

_Komaeda’s smell isn’t here._

The observation made tears well up in his eyes. He could imagine the little fox happily tucked against his fur, purring loudly. Yet, there was no trace of the fox here. No smell, no toys, nothing. 

Hinata curled up as tightly as he could. He tried to shake off the tears, but it didn’t work. As he closed his eyes to sleep, even with the feeling of his brother beside him, Hinata had never felt more alone.


	22. Chapter 22

“Get up.”

The deep voice startled Hinata out of his sleep. He had barely slept at all that night. Kamukura’s red eyes were as intense as always. Hinata stood up and gave himself a shake. 

“I’m putting you on hunting duty with a group. Ikusaba will be leading it. Don’t leave them waiting,” Kamukura spoke before leaving the den. Hinata huffed. His brother was as cold as ever. 

Hinata walked out of the den and looked around. He spotted Ikusaba’s dark pelt surrounded by other wolves. He swallowed thickly when he noticed Enoshima’s blonde pelt. Before he could attempt hiding, her blue eyes locked on him. 

“Hinata!” Her shrill voice brought the other wolves’ attention to him. Hinata felt his fur bristle under all of their stares. He felt like they were all judging him. Enoshima ran up to him as if she couldn’t see how nervous he was. “It’s your first hunt since you got away from the humans, right?”

Hinata felt his fur prickle more. He still felt sick from eating the night before. He gave a small nod and Enoshima gave him a bright smile. Hinata had no way of reading her. 

Enoshima led Hinata into the group of wolves and sat down. Hinata kept his head down as he sat next to her. He felt the eyes of the other wolves on him. Ikusaba began speaking and explaining what they would be doing. Hinata sighed in relief when he heard they were hunting moose. That would be easier for him. 

The meeting was brief and Ikusaba charged out of the clearing. The group of wolves followed her. Hinata had expected Enoshima to run ahead, but she chose to stay close to him. 

“Are you ready?” She asked. Hinata nodded as he ran. He had hoped that the hunt would mean that Enoshima wouldn’t talk to him, but he was proven wrong. “Was there any moose in the human territory?”

Hinata shook his head. Enoshima huffed. Hinata could’ve sworn he heard her muttering about his answer being boring. He could only hope that made her stop talking to him. 

Ikusaba let out a small bark of warning. They had found their target. The moose was large and it didn’t seem to notice them. Ikusaba gave a flick of her tail and the group charged. 

The moose let out a startled sound and tried running. However, it was no match for the group. Hinata latched on to the moose’s stomach as the others grabbed different parts. Hinata tried to block out the animal’s distressed sounds. 

Hinata felt a rough shove. His jaws let go of the piece he was latched on to and he stumbled. A sudden, intense pain ripped through him. He let out a yelp as he fell to the ground. He looked up and realized that the moose had kicked him in its struggle. 

Hinata whined in pain as he looked at his injury. He got a bad kick to his left front leg. His shoulder was bleeding, but it luckily wasn’t deep. Hinata remembered the feeling of getting shoved. If he hadn’t been shoved then he wouldn’t have been kicked. 

The sounds of struggling stopped and Hinata noticed that they had successfully taken down the moose. Enoshima suddenly came running to him. Hinata felt fear course through him. He remembered her being next to him when he had a hold on the moose’s stomach. 

“Hinata! Are you okay?” Enoshima’s voice was filled with concern. She sniffed at his injury and gave a cautious lick. Hinata almost felt bad for thinking it was her before she spoke again. “I guess you really aren’t ready to live in the wild huh? What a shame.”

Hinata felt both anger and sadness run through him. He didn’t know what to believe. Enoshima could’ve purposefully shoved him and got him hurt, but he didn’t see the reason she would do that. It could’ve easily been Hinata’s fault. 

He felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Was he so useless that he couldn’t even help in a group hunt? He whined but this time it wasn’t because of his injury. 

“Aw, how cute. You’re still new to this feeling huh?” Enoshima giggled. Hinata looked at her in confusion. She was suddenly very close to him. The oppressive air he felt the day before came back. “This despair.”

Hinata felt a shiver run down his spine. So that was what he was feeling. Despair. Enoshima smiled at him. No, it wasn’t a smile. It was a twisted version of a smile. 

“Accept it Hinata. Embrace it. This despair,” her voice filled his mind. He almost felt numb. He could only feel one thing. 

This despair. 

______________________

The walk back to the pack went by in a blur. Hinata barely remembered anything. His head was swimming. Enoshima had let him lean on her as they walked back. The entire time, she kept talking. Whispering things to him. Things that only made him feel more lost. 

The entire pack greeted them when they got back. Hinata barely heard anything. He heard a dull ringing in his ears. Kamukura noticed the two of them and came running. 

“What happened?” Kamukura asked as he looked at his brother’s injury. Before Hinata could answer, Enoshima cut in. 

“Your brother is a pretty lousy hunter. Got kicked while trying to take it down. What an idiot,” Enoshima giggled as she spoke. The words lodged themselves into his mind. She was right. He really was worthless. 

“I wasn’t asking you,” Kamukura’s deep voice was as unemotional as always. Enoshima huffed and gave Hinata a small lick. He barely felt it. 

“She’s right. Sorry,” Hinata mumbled. Kamukura’s eyes bored into him. He seemed to finally accept Hinata’s words as he sighed. “Enoshima, take him to my den. I’ll bring him food.”

Enoshima gave a nod and continued letting Hinata lean on her. He barely registered it. He could hear Enoshima’s excited voice saying something, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything. 

When he was safely in his new nest, he let his mind wander. He was useless, wasn't he? He got hurt again. Now he couldn’t contribute to the pack. He was dead weight until he got better. 

These thoughts would usually frighten Hinata, but now he felt a dull acceptance. This was just how it was. He was a useless wolf who had no skills. He wasn’t fast, strong, or clever. He was just completely normal. Maybe even less than normal. 

Hinata curled up, tucking his nose into his tail. He refused to cry. Crying wouldn’t change anything. He would only be more pathetic. What even was the point of his existence?

He wasn’t a good wolf. He wasn’t a good son. He wasn’t smart. He wasn’t special to anyone. He never helped anyone. 

A flash of white entered his mind. White? Why would he think of something white? Hinata shook his head. He must be going crazy. 

Kamukura only briefly came into the den to give him his food. Hinata begrudgingly ate it. He barely noticed the time passing. He was completely lost in his thoughts and this numb feeling. 

“Hinata!” A happy voice called into the den. He didn’t respond. He heard some shuffling and suddenly Enoshima was next to him. She seemed to be complaining about her sister or something. Hinata didn’t listen. 

“Aw, are you like this already? Man, how boring. I thought I could have more fun with you,” Enoshima sighed. Hinata just huffed. He didn’t care anymore. She could kill him if she wanted to and he wouldn’t mind.

“Well, whatever. You are pretty useless. But there is one way you can be useful,” Enoshima giggled. Hinata perked up at the comment. He didn’t know how a wolf like him could be useful at all. She seemed to notice his interest. 

“You can follow me. Do as I say. Then you can be useful,” Enoshima whispered. Hinata looked at her in confusion. He didn’t know how following her would make him useful. She sighed. “I’ll make you useful. I promise. If you follow me, then you won’t have to worry anymore. You won’t have to hope for something ever again.”

Hinata stared at her in the dark den. Her eyes were bright and determined. Hinata couldn’t help being drawn into them. He gave a small nod. Enoshima let out a happy bark. 

“Amazing! I’ll make sure you’ll be useful,” Enoshima giggled. Hinata nodded. This feeling of numbness seemed to spread a bit more. Yet, he didn’t mind it. He didn’t mind this despair. 

A small voice spoke in his mind. He heard the voice giggling. But it was different from Enoshima’s. It was light. Happy. Hinata desperately tried to listen. Yet, it only seemed to get further away as the feeling of numbness spread. 

He could feel Enoshima licking at his injury. She was back to talking about her sister. Hinata listened. If helping her would make him useful, then he would. He sometimes chimed into the conversation, but she seemed content with him not responding at all. 

“What are you doing here?” A deep voice called from the entrance to the den. Hinata looked up and spotted Kamukura’s strong form. Hinata sighed. He would never be like his brother, would he? The numbness spread further. 

Enoshima talked happily to Kamukura, but Hinata didn’t listen. He didn’t care to listen. What did it matter? He registered Enoshima leaving, but he didn’t care. 

Kamukura didn’t leave the den after her. His gaze was fixed on Hinata. Hinata refused to acknowledge him. Why should he? He would only be annoying him. 

“How is your injury?” Kamukura finally spoke. Hinata looked up at him. Kamukura’s eyes were as uninterested as ever. Hinata sighed. _I don’t blame him for not caring about me. No one does._

A flowery scent entered Hinata’s mind. He shook his head. There were no flowers here. Why did he smell that? He must be imagining it. 

“It’s fine. I won't be down for long,” Hinata said. His voice was as flat as Kamukura’s. The black wolf continued to stare at him. Hinata just curled back into a ball. He heard the sound of paw steps leaving the den. 

Hinata sighed into his tail. There wasn’t anything he could do for now. He should probably just sleep. He could almost feel a small shape curled up against his chest. A small, white shape. 

Hinata shook his head and the feeling was gone. He must be going crazy. There was never anyone who would curl up with him like that. 

No one? Ever? 

The thought felt wrong. Very wrong. It felt like Hinata was forgetting something. But the numb feeling soon took over. What did it matter? 

With that thought in his head, he drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Hinata woke up feeling numb. Nothing had changed from the night before. It’s not like he expected anything else. This was just how things were. 

He crawled out of the den, wincing slightly at the pain in his shoulder. It had already healed quite a bit but the pain remained. As soon as he was outside, the voice he had come to be used to was in his ear. 

“Hinata! How’s your leg?” Enoshima asked. Hinata just gave a shake of his head. Why did it matter? Nothing did. 

Yet, he felt like he was forgetting something. Something important. Like there was still something to hope for. Hinata shook his head again. Nothing like that existed. 

“You said you could help me be useful,” Hinata got right to the point. Enoshima’s eyes glittered coldly. Hinata had gotten used to the darkness in the wolf’s eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah you’ll be useful. Come on, let’s go take a walk to discuss it,” it sounded like she was reading off a script. As if she had everything planned in her mind. Hinata couldn’t find it in himself to care. Why did it matter if she knew what she wanted to say?

The forest smells were exactly the same as the day before. Everything was the same. If he were to die here nothing would change. His rotting corpse would be the only thing that remained and even that would get in the way of others. 

Hinata’s leg allowed him to put weight on it and it barely hurt, but that didn’t change anything. He was just as useless as before. He felt like he was walking through an endless fog that wouldn’t let him escape. 

Enoshima suddenly stopped and sat down, curling her tail over her paws. Hinata sat down next to her. Enoshima gave him one of her signature smiles. 

“Well! Let’s get talking!” Enoshima exclaimed. Hinata nodded slowly. “You’ll actually be very useful to me Hinata.”

“How? You know as well as I do how useless I am,” Hinata mumbled. Enoshima let out a laugh, making Hinata flinch. He wanted everything to be silent. 

“Of course I know that, you extra! But what is useful from you is what you know,” Enoshima said. Hinata tilted his head. He didn’t know how anything he knew could be special. He was an average wolf who didn’t know anything special. 

“I’m talking about Kamukura. You grew up with him so you obviously know a lot about him,” the blonde wolf continued speaking. Hinata hummed as he tilted his head. 

“I do know a bit. He was always reserved though. How is that information helpful?” Hinata tilted his head as he asked. Enoshima’s tail wagged in excitement, her blue eyes sparkling. 

“Well, it’s obviously so he can be on my side!” She smiled as she spoke. Side? What sides? Hinata didn’t understand a word she was saying. Although what else could he expect. He was always slow and stupid. 

“Kamukura is the only one who hasn’t realized the truth. He’s so stubborn,” Enoshima groaned. Hinata just listened. He didn’t deserve to speak up anyway. “Well, if I know his weaknesses I can get him on my side!”

“What sides are you talking about?” Hinata decided to ask the question that was on his mind. Enoshima huffed and growled. 

“God, you really are dumb! There’s this stupid pack that Kamukura has considered merging with. It’s led by this small wolf named Naegi. He’s so overflowing with hope that it makes me sick!” Enoshima practically shouted. Hinata was surprised by the intensity with which she spoke. 

“So! I need to take control of Kamukura. If I do that, then I can crush Naegi and his stupid group of idiots! I could even spread despair to other packs! I’m so sick of their worthless howling and their worthless hope,” Enoshima’s eyes seemed to be swirling. 

Hinata couldn’t help it. He felt fear. There was something about what Enoshima was saying that felt so wrong. It felt… filthy. His fur was bristling and he felt like he was ready to run. Enoshima seemed to notice. 

“Sorry about that! Naegi and his little group are just so insufferable. So, if you tell me about Kamukura’s weaknesses, then you can be useful!” Enoshima smiled. Hinata sighed. 

“So it all comes down to that. I’m only useful because of my connection to my brother,” Hinata deadpanned. Of course it was. He didn’t know why he expected anything else. 

“Why of course. Aw, did you think you were actually important for being yourself? Don’t be ridiculous,” Enoshima laughed cruelly. Hinata felt like his final hope had finally been smashed into pieces. 

Nothing mattered. Why was he even alive? There wasn’t anything left for him to live for. He might as well tell Enoshima what he knows. It’s not like it matters. Nothing does. 

“Fine. I’ll talk,” Hinata said. Enoshima let out a bark of excitement. Hinata barely heard it. His head was full of a strange ringing sound. As if the entire world was taken away. All that was left was static and an empty feeling. 

“Oh! Let me catch us some food. I’ll need you alive to tell me what you know!” Enoshima sang as she ran into the woods. Hinata stayed where he was. He was a useless hunter anyway. He would only drag Enoshima down. 

Usually, that thought would make him depressed. But now he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was as if the world had stopped. There was nothing for him in this world. 

“I’m back!” It felt like no time had passed when Enoshima came back. Hinata was staring at the ground and heard something fall. He looked up. 

His blood suddenly ran cold. 

“God this was such an easy catch. How boring,” Enoshima sighed. Hinata didn’t hear her. He was staring at what lay at her paws. 

A small fox. Its eyes were wide in fear, blood splattering its coat. Hinata felt frozen to the spot as he stared at it. Its eyes were green, but he could only see gray. Gray eyes that he knew well. 

“Get away from him!” Hinata screamed as he leaped at Enoshima. The blonde wolf let out a yelp of surprise as she was bowled over. Before Hinata could attack anymore he felt a weight on his back. 

He rolled over onto whatever was on his back. The move he had been taught. The one from Nidai. He snarled at the other wolf. Ikusaba was snarling right back, her eyes intense. 

Everything had rushed back to Hinata. All the friends he had made at the enclosure, all the time he spent with the other animals, but most of all he remembered Komaeda. He remembered the little white fox’s laugh and smile. A smile that gave him hope. 

He had assumed that Komaeda had wanted nothing to do with him after he had asked the fox to leave with him. But now he remembered. He remembered the look of pain and loneliness in the fox’s eyes as he turned away. 

Komaeda didn’t want Hinata to leave. Hinata had someone waiting for him. Someone who loved him and saw him as worthwhile. That thought hardened Hinata’s resolve. He would fight until his last breath to get back to Komaeda. 

Just as he was about to leap at the black wolf, there was a sharp pain in his leg. Enoshima was biting and trying to pull him down. Hinata growled and tried to kick her, but that only wasted time. 

Ikusaba leaped at him. Fastening her teeth in the scruff of his neck. Hinata suddenly felt fear amid the adrenaline. There was no way he would be able to win against these two. Was he going to die here? 

Die without ever telling Komaeda how he felt? 

Hinata growled as he violently shook and succeeded in kicking Enoshima off. He twisted and bit hard on Ikusaba’s neck. The black wolf snarled at the pain, yet Hinata felt her overpowering him. She was clearly much stronger than him. 

Hinata held out, continuing to struggle and fight even though he was fighting a losing battle. Ikusaba was just too strong. She had succeeded in pinning him to the ground. Hinata was expecting the final blow to be delivered. But instead, he felt the weight being lifted. 

More snarling erupted in the clearing. Hinata looked up to see Kamukura facing down Ikusaba, his lips drawn back in a snarl. Ikusaba was panting as blood ran down her face. Hinata leaped up to stand beside his brother, snarling at the black wolf. 

Realization dawned on Ikusaba’s face. She knew she would not win this battle. Her eyes darted over to her sister for support. But she found nothing. Enoshima had already passed out from the blow she got to her head from Hinata. 

“I suggest you go and lay with your sister, Ikusaba,” Kamukura’s voice was dark and threatening. Ikusaba let out one final growl before limping over and checking on her sister. Hinata looked at his brother in surprise. 

“Why are you here?” He decided to ask. 

“I saw you leaving with her. I knew she was up to something,” his voice was as deadpanned as ever. Hinata gave a small nod. His eyes landed back on the dead fox. Kamukura followed his gaze. 

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Kamukura asked. Hinata nodded. He knew that there was no place for him here. The only place that he belonged was in his den with Komaeda. 

“I’m sorry Kamukura,” Hinata mumbled. Kamukura just shook his head. Hinata was relieved to see acceptance in his eyes. He looked back to the two female wolves. 

“What are you going to do with them?” Hinata asked. Kamukura let out a sigh as he glared at the sisters. 

“They will stay with me. They are much more dangerous on their own. I’ll deal with them when I’ve merged the pack,” Kamukura growled. Hinata smiled at his brother. The black wolf already had his mind set on merging with Naegi’s group. Hinata thought it was a good idea. 

“Thank you for giving me the chance to be here,” Hinata gave his brother a small lick. Kamukura leaned over and put his head on his brother’s shoulder. Hinata did the same. 

“Now, go. You have an annoying fox waiting for you,” Kamukura said. Hinata couldn’t help but laugh. He also had a bunch of annoying friends waiting. 

Hinata sent one last look to Kamukura. The black wolf nodded at him. Hinata knew this would be the last time he saw his brother. He couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Yet, he knew that it was for the best. 

With a smile, Hinata began charging into the woods. He knew it would take some time before he reached the human territory. Yet, he felt like he could run forever. 

As long as he knew Komaeda was at his destination, then he would run for as long as it took.


	24. Chapter 24

Hinata’s legs were hurting. Even after the sunset, he refused to stop running. He needed to get back to Komaeda as soon as possible. He didn’t care what happened. 

That didn’t stop his legs from hurting though. He let out a yelp as he fell. He growled as he shakily got up. He refused to stop here. He needed to get home. 

He lifted his nose and sniffed. He let out a bark of excitement when he recognized where he was. He was close to the human territory. He attempted to start running again but winced at the pain in his legs. Walking it is then. 

He was lucky his wound wasn’t deep. If it were any worse he was sure he wouldn’t make it to the territory. But with how he was moving, it didn’t take long for the fences to come in sight. 

Hinata trotted up to the fence and sniffed. This was his enclosure. Suddenly, fear went through him. What if the human had another animal living here? 

He shook his head. He couldn’t hesitate now. He walked along the fence until he reached the end of his enclosure. So he was by Komaeda’s enclosure. 

Hinata took a deep breath and let out a long howl. He wanted to get the human's attention, but there was someone else he wanted to see more. 

He let out a yelp when he saw movement in his enclosure. So an animal was living there? But, his eyes widened at what he saw. 

Komaeda came scrambling out of their den, the white of his fur unmistakable. The little fox looked towards Hinata, eyes widening. Hinata immediately ran to get closer, Komaeda doing the same. 

“Hinata? What are you doing here?” Komaeda asked. Hinata noticed the hopeful gleam in his eyes. Hinata rubbed his face against the fence, soaking in the fox’s scent that he missed so much. 

“I couldn’t stay away,” Hinata said as he tried to lick Komaeda through the fence, pulling back at the bad taste of the wire. Komaeda stood up on his back legs, leaning up to poke his tongue through the fence to lick Hinata. 

“So, you came back? Are you staying?” Komaeda asked urgently. Hinata nodded with a smile, continuing to rub his face against the fence. 

“You’re injured!” Komaeda exclaimed, seeing his leg. He was trying to sniff at the injury through the fence. 

“It’s okay. It’s not severe,” Hinata said, smiling wide. He felt an almost overwhelming warmth in his chest as he looked at the small fox. He had missed him so much. 

“If it isn’t a bad wound then you will not have to go to the vet,” Komaeda’s tail wagged as he said so. Hinata heard soft noises coming from Komaeda. As if he was restraining his excitement. 

“Do you know how to get her attention?” Hinata asked, gesturing to the human nest. Komaeda nodded and ran to the hole he made, scrambling under the fence into his enclosure. 

“We can’t have Monomi noticing the tunnel,” Komaeda said when he saw Hinata’s confused face. “We just need to make a lot of noise and you need to appear non-threatening.”

Komaeda led Hinata along the fence until he was close to the human nest. Hinata looked to the small fox for instruction. 

“When she comes out, lay down to appear non-threatening,” Komaeda explained, his tail still wagging. Komaeda then started making noise. Hinata joined in, howling and barking. 

A light came out of the human nest and soon, Monomi came out. Her eyes widened when she spotted Hinata. Hinata laid on the ground, just like Komaeda instructed. The white fox was still yelling and pacing back and forth along the barrier of the fence. 

Monomi was cautious as she approached. Hinata made sure to stay completely still. His tail started to wag when she opened the enclosure. Hinata stood up, careful to walk slowly into the enclosure. 

The human was making happy noises until she noticed his injury. She stepped into the enclosure and cautiously approached Hinata. The wolf had to struggle to stay still as she checked his fur. She was making soothing noises and turned and left the enclosure. Hinata looked to Komaeda for another explanation. 

“She’s getting what’s needed to heal you,” Komaeda said, still making high pitched noises. Hinata nodded, smiling as he watched the fox continue to pace by the fence. He could tell Komaeda wanted to get into his enclosure as soon as possible. 

Monomi made quick work of treating him. He made sure to lay down to not scare the human and stayed as still as possible as she treated him. He could hear Komaeda’s noises the entire time she was tending to him. 

When she was finished, she made another soft cooing sound and petted his head. As soon as she was inside her nest, Komaeda and Hinata charged towards the tunnel. 

Hinata was jumping in place as Komaeda squeezed under. Komaeda let out a happy noise and rubbed himself against Hinata. The wolf immediately began licking him, practically smothering him. Komaeda’s purr was strong as Hinata furiously groomed him. 

“Hinata,” Komaeda’s voice was sweet and soft as he said the name as if savoring how it felt on his tongue. Hinata used his paw to pull Komaeda as close as possible, continuing in his grooming.

Hinata felt warm all over. Feeling Komaeda soft fur against him made everything worth it. He didn’t know how he ever thought he could live without the fox. It didn’t matter that he would have to stay with humans. As long as he had the little fox with him then he knew it was worth it. 

“I missed you so much,” Hinata sighed into Komaeda fur, breathing in his sweet scent. Komaeda purred louder and licked at Hinata’s face. 

“Why couldn’t you stay away?” Komaeda whispered. Hinata pulled the fox closer. He knew it would take a lot for Komaeda to understand his reasons. Understand that _he_ was the reason. 

“Because I found something special here,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda tilted his head slightly, not picking up on what he was saying. But that was fine. He would make sure Komaeda understood but right now he wanted to savor this moment. 

“What happened out there, Hinata?” Komaeda asked. Hinata shivered at the thought. He could still feel Enoshima’s malice seeping into his bones and the hopeless feeling she had instilled in him. But, he knew he had to tell Komaeda. 

“Come on. Let’s get to our den and I’ll explain everything,” Hinata said. Komaeda let out a squeal of excitement when Hinata called it their den. The fox started walking towards the den, only to be picked up. He let out an excited giggle as Hinata walked towards their den. 

The feeling of carrying Komaeda made Hinata smile. If he was carrying the fox, he knew he would always be safe. He could protect him no matter what. In the pack, he had nothing to protect. No reason to be there at all. But here he had Komaeda. Someone who made him feel loved and useful. Who made him smile and be happy to be with. 

Hinata sighed in relief as he entered their den. The mix of both of their scents called him. He felt safe here and knew he would be able to sleep soundly. He set the fox down and tilted his head. He was sure that some of the toys Komaeda had gifted him were outside when he left, but now they were all in the den. 

“Oh, yeah. Why were you in here instead of your enclosure?” Hinata asked with a tilt of his head. The question had been on his mind ever since he saw Komaeda’s white head pop out of the ground. 

“Ah… sorry that my disgusting self was using your den,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata huffed and shook his head, bringing the fox close once more and licking him. 

“That’s not what I meant. I was just expecting to see you in your enclosure,” Hinata explained. Komaeda crawled closer to Hinata, tucking himself in against the wolf’s chest. 

“The den still smells like you. I couldn’t sleep without it,” Komaeda explained, shoving his face into Hinata’s fur as if he was embarrassed. Hinata smiled. Komaeda missed him just as much. The thought made him indescribably happy. 

“You wanted to know what happened right?” Hinata asked. He could feel Komaeda’s ears perk up against his chest fur, clearly interested. 

Hinata told him everything. From first finding Kamukura to the fight with Enoshima and her sister. The whole time Komaeda listened silently. 

“She sounds absolutely disgusting,” Komaeda said, scrunching his nose. Hinata laughed at the fox’s expression and nuzzled against his head. 

“None of that matters now. I’m here to stay,” Hinata smiled. Komaeda didn’t speak, his eyes downcast. 

“If she wasn’t there, do you think you would’ve come back?” Komaeda asked. Hinata tilted his head at the question. He looked back on his time in the pack, trying to imagine what it would be like if Enoshima weren’t there. 

It would’ve been more peaceful. Less painful. Yet Hinata couldn’t see himself living there forever. He would compare himself to the other wolves, feeling worthless and miserable. 

“I would’ve come back,” Hinata answered, confidently. “Actually, maybe Enoshima did me a favor. She just sped up what would be the natural conclusion. If she weren’t there, it might’ve been too late for me to be accepted back.”

Komaeda stared at him silently. His eyes looked slightly wet and he shoved his face against Hinata’s fur. 

“Can I say something selfish?” Komaeda asked. Hinata nodded, listening to the fox’s breathing. Komaeda’s voice sounded slightly choked. 

“I’m really happy you came back, Hinata,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata felt his own eyes get wet at the admission. It was such a short sentence but it meant the world. 

“I’m glad I came back too, Komaeda.” Komaeda curled even closer to him as he spoke. His fur felt slightly wet where Komaeda was rubbing his face. Komaeda had suffered just as much as Hinata while he was away. 

Hinata made a vow to himself. He would never leave Komaeda alone again. He would always protect the small fox and make sure he was safe and happy. He would make sure Komaeda was happy. No matter what. 

With that thought, Hinata curled up in their nest, drifting off to sleep with the smell of flowers surrounding him.


	25. Chapter 25

“Are you stupid?!”

Hinata was laying on the ground, whining as Koizumi chewed him out. Kuzuryuu already had his time to yell at Hinata. Komaeda was sitting next to Hinata awkwardly, trying to comfort him. 

“Jeez, I never knew wolves could be so idiotic! We all told you to stay and you didn’t listen,” Koizumi growled. Hinata whimpered at her intense stare. He felt like he was a pup again, getting yelled at by his mom. 

“Soul bro!” A voice suddenly yelled out. Koizumi stepped out of the way as Souda came barreling towards Hinata. The bird didn’t stop and instead collided straight into the wolf. 

“Soul bro I missed you so much! Don’t leave me again!” Souda wailed. Hinata huffed around a mouthful of feathers. He could hear Komaeda giggling close by. 

“... I’m glad you’re back,” a soft voice joined in. Hinata struggled to look out from the feathers and saw Nanami smiling at him. He felt guilt wash over him. 

“I’m sorry Nanami. I didn’t understand what you were trying to say to me when you told me to stay,” Hinata said as he pushed Souda away. Nanami let out a gentle purr. 

“It’s okay. Maybe you needed to leave to find out where you truly belong,” Nanami whispered. Her eyes drifted to the side. Hinata followed her gaze to look at Komaeda. The little fox was trying to keep Souda from smothering Hinata again. 

“Yeah. I know now,” Hinata smiled. He truly felt happy. He was home. He didn’t need to be in the wild to be happy. He just needed to be with his friends. And with Komaeda. 

“Have you told him?” Nanami asked. Hinata looked at her and tilted his head. She sighed. “About your feelings for him.”

Hinata took a moment to process the words before sputtering. He shook out his pelt while Nanami watched, unimpressed. He felt his whole body heat up from embarrassment. 

“Is it really that obvious?” Hinata asked. Nanami nodded. Hinata wanted to bury his head into the ground. 

“What are you talking about?” Hinata yelped when Komaeda spoke up. The little fox had succeeded in distracting Souda for the time being and was now standing next to Hinata. 

“N-Nothing! She was just saying she was happy to see me back!” Hinata exclaimed, a bit too loudly. Nanami gave him an unimpressed look as Komaeda tilted his head. 

Hinata used his paw to pull Komaeda close and licked him. The fox began to purr and nuzzled close to groom Hinata’s chest fur. Hinata had never felt so happy. 

Something cold hit his nose. Hinata looked up at the sky. Snow was falling. Komaeda let out a squeal of excitement and looked at the sky as well. 

“I guess winter is here, huh?” Hinata commented. Winter usually made the wolf feel dread, knowing that prey would become scarce. But he didn’t have to worry about that anymore. He had a safe place. 

Komaeda was jumping around, squealing in excitement. Hinata watched with a smile on his face. The fox was incredibly cute. Hinata felt satisfaction curl in his chest. He could go through any hardship as long as he had Komaeda at his side. 

_____________________

The snow continued to fall, making Hinata shiver. He was lucky he had such thick fur. He was walking around the enclosure with Komaeda by his side. It felt great to be back. 

“Hey, Komaeda did anything-,” Hinata cut himself off. Komaeda wasn’t there. He felt his fur rise in alarm. He looked around the clearing but found nothing. 

Hinata let out a yelp of surprise when he saw part of the snow move. He cautiously approached it, scared to see what was hiding underneath. He began slowly scooping away the snow around the pile. 

A familiar giggle sounded out when Hinata uncovered a pink nose. Komaeda’s head popped out of the snow. Hinata stared at him in shock. 

“How can you stand being in that cold?” Hinata exclaimed. Komaeda giggled more as he stood up and shook out his pelt. 

“It’s what my species is known for,” Komaeda smiled. Hinata gave the little fox a lick on the head, delighting in the responding purr. 

Komaeda’s pure white fur blended into the scenery. Hinata sometimes even lost sight of him until he would see his gray eyes or pink nose. Hinata smiled as he saw the fox hopping, trying to walk through the thick snow. 

The sudden warmth he felt for Komaeda blew away the feeling of cold. He knew he loved the little fox. But the thought of telling him sent cold fear through his veins. 

What if Komaeda didn’t feel the same? Would it make their relationship awkward? What if Komaeda felt obligated to be his mate and didn’t actually want it?

A surprised squeal made Hinata break out of his spiraling thoughts. A fluffy tail was poking out of a pile of snow. Hinata looked up and saw Mioda perched on the tree directly above Komaeda. 

“Wow! You really do blend into the snow Komaeda!” Mioda giggled. Komaeda poked his head out of the snow and shook out his fur. Hinata could hear him giggling faintly. 

Hinata approached the little snow pile and picked up the small fox. Komaeda let out a thankful purr as he was pulled out of the pile. Hinata felt himself warm up more when Komaeda gently nibbled his face. 

“Hinata! I can’t believe you left Ibuki’s band! You’ll need to reclaim your title!” Mioda said, flapping her wings. Hinata flinched at the memory of band practice. 

“Uh, yeah. Maybe another time,” Hinata mumbled desperately trying to find an excuse. Komaeda let out a little yelp as he fell. Hinata could see his legs shaking as he tried standing up. 

“You got too excited from the snow,” Hinata teased. Komaeda huffed as he accepted the fact that he would be laying down for a while. Hinata gently licked his head. 

“I’m gonna take Komaeda to rest somewhere,” Hinata told Mioda, happy for the excuse before she dragged him to band practice. Mioda let out a disappointed noise but agreed. 

Hinata leaned down and grasped the fox’s scruff between his teeth. Komaeda let out a happy squeal as he was picked up. Hinata couldn’t stop his tail from wagging as he walked. 

He found a place that was mostly sheltered from the cold because of a tree and placed Komaeda down. Komaeda licked his face, thanking him for the help. Hinata laid down and scooped the fox close. 

“My fur is warm right? Maybe warmth will help you recover your strength,” Hinata said, trying not to feel flustered. Komaeda purred as he burrowed close to Hinata’s chest. 

Hinata let out a loud yawn. He hadn’t realized how tired he really was. The whole day was spent with him talking to the others. They all seemed happy to have him back, which made Hinata feel relieved. He didn’t know what he’d do if they didn’t accept him back. 

“Do you want to nap, Hinata?” Komaeda asked from his spot buried in Hinata’s fur. Hinata nodded and laid his head down on the ground. He made sure to stretch his neck out so he didn’t end up crushing Komaeda. 

“Sleep well, Hinata,” Komaeda’s voice was muffled by the wolf’s fur. Hinata smiled as he closed his eyes. The feeling of Komaeda against him calmed him and made him fall asleep quickly. The sound of Komaeda’s purrs was the last noise he heard before falling asleep. 

______________________

The sound of paw steps in the snow is what woke Hinata. 

He blinked open his blurry eyes and saw Nanami standing a bit away. She was looking around as if searching for something. Her eyes widened as she stared at Hinata. 

Hinata looked to the side and found Komaeda’s nose sticking out from his fur. The rest of Komaeda was completely hidden by Hinata’s body. 

“... I went searching everywhere to find you, Komaeda. I never thought you’d be hidden,” Nanami said, slowly. Komaeda giggled and his nose vanished back into the fluff. 

“... It’s about time for Monomi to come get you,” Nanami said. Hinata felt Komaeda huff against his fur. He raised his head and Komaeda walked out, sulking. 

“I’ll see you tonight, Hinata,” Komaeda smiled at Hinata before he took off running. Hinata kept his eyes on the fluffy fox until he disappeared from sight. 

“... You need to tell him,” Nanami’s voice was unusually serious. Hinata huffed.

“I want to. I’ve finally realized how much I care about him. I just don’t know where to start,” Hinata decided to be honest. Nanami hummed. 

“Do what wolves do when they want to become mates,” Nanami said. Hinata shook his head. He had already tried that and Komaeda hadn’t picked up on it. 

A thought suddenly entered Hinata’s mind. Maybe he needed a new perspective. He was thinking of the situation through the eyes of a wolf but Komaeda was a fox. 

“How do foxes act around mates?” Hinata asked. Nanami tilted her head and hummed. 

“I don’t know. I think only Komaeda would really know,” Nanami mumbled. Hinata huffed. There was no way he was going to ask Komaeda something so embarrassing. 

“... Maybe you can talk to the others. They may not be able to give you what foxes act like but they can give what their species acts like. You could get lucky,” Nanami suggested. 

Hinata hummed. It could work. If he tried all of them then he would eventually succeed. Hinata nodded. 

“Got it. Thank you Nanami,” Hinata smiled at her. Nanami gave him a calm smile back. 

“As long as you take care of him, I don’t mind helping out,” the cat said. Hinata flinched slightly. Him leaving wouldn’t be forgotten so easily. Especially not for someone like Nanami, who was close to Komaeda. 

“I’m not leaving him ever again. I promise.” Nanami looked into his eyes for a moment. She seemed to like what she saw because she smiled. 

“Give him the love he deserves, Hinata.”


	26. Chapter 26

“Courting tactics?”

Hinata nodded. He had gathered Souda, Sonia, and imposter together. He figured that the three of them would be the easiest to talk to regarding the subject. 

“This is about Komaeda, right?” Imposter asked. Hinata stuttered and he felt his whole body heat up. Sonia made a happy noise.

“So you are finally confessing to him? That is truly tight!” Sonia exclaimed. Hinata wanted to dig himself a hole to hide in. The fact that all three of them knew made him extremely embarrassed. 

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Souda asked with a tilt of his head. Hinata huffed. 

“Why don’t you just tell Tanaka you like him?” Hinata asked. Souda began to stutter and stumble just like Hinata had done previously. 

“How would knowing how we court help you?” Imposter asked. 

“Well, I don’t know how foxes court each other. I’ve tried courting him using wolf tactics, but he didn’t pick up on it. Nanami suggested seeing if any of yours work,” Hinata explained. Souda stood up and walked towards Hinata, putting a wing on his back. 

“Don’t worry soul bro. I’ll show you how to get him,” Souda said. Hinata doubted that. The bird stepped away and Hinata watched as his feathers suddenly puffed up, revealing all of their colors. 

“See! You’ll just have to show him how handsome you are,” Souda said, clearly proud of his feathers. Hinata hummed. It could work. Komaeda did seem to like his fur after all. Hinata puffed his chest out, trying to look as large as possible. 

“You’re getting there! Try puffing out your tail and back fur,” Souda suggested. Hinata took a deep breath and tried to do as the bird asked. He felt his fur rise and he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“That’s a lot harder when you’re a wolf, but I'll try,” Hinata said. Souda gave him an encouraging nudge with his wing. 

“Shall I go next?” Sonia asked. Hinata nodded. He was looking forward to how Sonia would attract a mate. She was so gentle and delicate looking and he thought a gentle approach would be the most effective when it comes to Komaeda. 

“Well, the male roars to attract a female,” Sonia said. Hinata’s jaw dropped. He was sure that the deer was kidding but she showed no signs of it. 

“We females can distinguish between the roars and we usually choose one with a deeper roar,” Sonia elaborated. Hinata couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“R-Roar, huh?” Hinata whispered. Well, he could try at least. He wouldn’t know if it worked until he tried. Hinata took a deep breath and let out a sound. Sonia hummed. 

“That sounded more like a howl. Try making it lower and sounding more like a growl,” Sonia instructed. Hinata tried again, this time taking Sonia’s advice. She gave him a nod of approval. 

“Good job Hinata! I’m sure Komaeda will come right to you if you roar like that,” Sonia smiled. Hinata nodded slowly. He didn’t expect that. 

“I guess I’m the last one,” Imposter sighed. Hinata wasn’t sure if Imposter would be able to help all that much, but he chose him because of how calm he was. His tactics might be better suited to Komaeda’s skittish personality. 

“It’s nothing special. The male will scent the female from a distance. If the female is interested, she will slowly allow him to get closer,” Imposter explained. Hinata hummed. That could work. It also didn’t require him to practice, unlike with Souda and Sonia.

“I’ll try all of your tactics. I just hope one will work,” Hinata mumbled. Souda gave him a reassuring smile. 

“I’m sure he’ll be all over you, man! I mean, he’s pretty much already your mate right?” Souda asked. Hinata felt his body heat up again. 

“Wh-What do you mean?!” He exclaimed. Souda gave him a puzzled look. 

“You two are always together. Komaeda is practically glued to you. It’d be weirder if he didn’t like you,” the bird stated. Hinata looked away in embarrassment. 

They did spend a lot of time together, but that didn’t mean Komaeda liked him. The little fox may just look up to him. Hinata still felt fear curl in his gut. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his feelings to himself. 

“I-I guess I’ll try Imposter’s first,” Hinata said, giving the three animals his thanks. He lifted his nose and scented the air. He could pick up Komaeda’s sweet scent from further away. 

Hinata wasn’t sure how this would work. It was basically just tracking. Hinata had tracked Komaeda before and he didn’t show any sign of reacting to it. 

Hinata shook his head. It was different during his attempts before. When he found Komaeda he would always run right to him, but trail behind like Imposter said. 

Hinata soon spotted the small fox wandering. He stayed back, not sure if he should hide or not. Luckily, Komaeda was busy. Hinata watched as the fox dug into the ground. It looked like he was making another tunnel. 

Hinata smiled as he heard Komaeda’s excited noises, even from far away. Those noises always made him happy. They were adorable and made Hinata want to hold the fox close. 

Suddenly, the fox lifted his head and sniffed the air. He tilted his head in confusion and then his head turned in Hinata’s direction. The wolf felt himself tense up. 

“Hinata? Is that you?” Komaeda asked as he approached where Hinata was crouching. Hinata tilted his head. Komaeda didn’t seem to be flustered. He just seemed confused. 

“Why are you hiding here?” Komaeda asked as he pawed at the ground. Hinata stood up and shook out his pelt. 

“I-It’s nothing. You just seemed busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you,” Hinata lied. Komaeda’s tail wagged. 

“Hinata could never disturb me! Do you want to watch? I’m making another tunnel,” Komaeda said as he approached his digging spot. Hinata trailed after the fox. 

One failed. He would just have to see how the others went. 

_____________________

That night, Hinata didn’t run to his den. 

He knew Komaeda would be waiting for him there, but Sonia said that they picked mates by listening for the roar. Maybe that applied to foxes too. 

Hinata shook out his pelt and prepared himself. He remembered the tips that Sonia had given him and roared. When he stopped, he waited. He perked up when he heard the sound of Komaeda running towards him. 

His heart sank when he saw that the fox had a concerned look in his eyes. 

“Hinata! Are you okay? Why were you yelling?” Komaeda asked as he ran up to Hinata. The little fox started circling Hinata, looking him over. Hinata felt embarrassment curl in his gut. 

“S-Sorry. Did I scare you?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nodded slightly. 

“I thought you might be hurt,” Komaeda said. Hinata gave the little fox a lick to reassure him. Komaeda purred at the attention and pressed his face into Hinata’s fur. 

“C-Come on. Let’s go back to the den,” Hinata said as he leaned down and gripped Komaeda’s scruff in his teeth. Komaeda made a happy noise as he was carried. 

Another one failed. Hinata was sure he was going to die of embarrassment at this point. If only he knew how foxes courted, this would be so much easier. 

_Or I could just confess._

Hinata felt his body heat up. He definitely didn’t want to do that. He was sure he would end up saying something wrong and just saying it out loud would only leave Komaeda two options. If he exhibited courting behavior, Komaeda would show signs of being interested or not without fully rejecting him. 

When they reached the den, Hinata set the fox down on the ground. Komaeda gave him a lick to the face as a thank you. Hinata smiled as he watched the fox hop in the snow. 

He seemed to be enjoying this weather. Hinata made a startled noise when he saw Komaeda leap headfirst into the snow. Hinata could hear faint giggles as Komaeda burrowed deeper into the snow. 

Hinata walked over to the lump of snow that was hiding Komaeda and started trying to scoop some off. Komaeda squealed in excitement and moved more. Hinata’s tail wagged as he crouched and pounced. 

He made sure to be gentle so he wouldn’t hurt the frail fox. Komaeda let out another squeal of excitement as Hinata dug him out of the snow. Hinata still couldn’t understand how the fox didn’t feel freezing when he was covered in snow. 

Souda’s tactic popped into his mind. Maybe foxes liked thicker pelts on mates? It would make sense seeing Komaeda’s behavior. Hinata shook himself and stood up. With a deep inhale he puffed out his fur like Souda advised. 

Komaeda started by looking confused, but then his ears pressed against his head and his tail tucked under him. A soft noise was coming from him. 

“A-Are you mad at me, Hinata?” Komaeda asked. Hinata stuttered and shook his fur, desperately trying to smooth it. 

“N-No! I’m not mad! It was just…” Hinata trailed off. Komaeda’s ears and tail slowly returned to their normal position. He tilted his head. 

“What were you trying to do, Hinata?” Komaeda asked. 

“N-Nothing! How about we get some sleep? I’m really tired,” Hinata said. By tired, he meant so embarrassed that he felt like he was about to die. Komaeda tilted his head again as if he was going to continue the topic, but he decided against it. 

Hinata followed the little fox into their den. Hinata settled into the nest first and Komaeda happily followed, pressing as close to Hinata’s chest fur as he could. 

Hinata flushed as the fox settled into his fur. Sleeping with Komaeda did feel rather intimate. Souda’s words entered his mind. Maybe Komaeda did like him?

As soon as the thought came to him, his insecurity came back. Why would Komaeda like him anyway? He wasn’t anything special. He was just a completely average wolf. 

Hinata sighed. He would just have to ask the others. One of them had to have the right idea. 

With embarrassment still curling in his stomach, Hinata settled down and listened to Komaeda’s steady breathing until he fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

The feeling of something moving beside him roused Hinata from his sleep. 

He grumbled, but the thing moving didn’t stop. With a huff, Hinata put a paw over the thing and pulled it close. He heard a small squeal, but his mind was already drifting back to sleep. 

“Hinata, I have to go before Monomi comes,” a shy voice echoed in the den. Hinata growled and pulled the fluffy lump closer to him. He felt a paw begin to prod at him and that’s what made him open his eyes. 

He groaned when the light hit him and he looked down. Komaeda was being held in place by his paw. The wolf felt his body heat up and he leaped away. 

“S-Sorry! I-I was still half asleep,” Hinata stumbled. Komaeda giggled as he got up and shook out his pelt. 

“It’s okay, Hinata! I didn’t mind,” Komaeda gave him a sincere smile. The smile made Hinata look away in embarrassment. He had pulled his crush close in his sleep and didn’t let him go. 

“I’ll see you at the enclosure, Hinata!” Komaeda said cheerfully as he trotted out of the den, his fluffy tail wagging. Hinata heard a distant squeal of excitement and the sound of Komaeda leaping into the snow. 

Hinata sighed. He just hoped who he picked to help him today would be able to get through to the fluffy fox. 

_____________________

“Ibuki knows exactly how to get a mate!” Mioda’s excited voice was far too loud. Hinata sighed. 

“Do you really?” The wolf doubted it. Mioda flapped her wings in excitement and puffed out her chest. 

“Obviously! How else would Ibuki get a cutie like Tsumiki as a mate?” Mioda said, confidently. Hinata sighed. He was sure that only Mioda saw them as being in a relationship. 

“Well, tell me what it is,” Hinata really hoped it wasn’t something ridiculous. Mioda sat down on the top of Hinata’s head and leaned down in front of his face so she was the only thing he could see. 

“Singing!” Mioda exclaimed. Hinata tilted his head, almost knocking her off. “Ibuki’s kind sings to attract mates! It’s simple!”

“Singing, huh,” Hinata mumbled. That could work. Komaeda seemed to always enjoy his howling. He could try making his howl sound different. More intimate instead of calling. 

“Thanks, Mioda. I’ll try,” Hinata said. Mioda flapped her wings happily. 

“I’m sure Komaeda will love it!” Mioda exclaimed. Hinata felt his whole body heat up. Did everyone know about his crush on the fox?

“How about Ibuki brings Tsumiki to tell you her technique?” Mioda suggested. Hinata nodded at the idea, although Hinata was sure it was so Mioda could learn how to court Tsumiki and not because she only wanted to help. 

“Ibuki will go to the ends of the earth to find her pretty mate!” Mioda exclaimed as she took off. Hinata sighed. Mioda’s suggestion wasn’t as crazy as he thought it would be. He just hoped it would work. 

____________________

“I see. So that’s why you asked,” Pekoyama’s gentle voice said. Hinata sighed in relief. When he came up to her and asked that question, Kuzuryuu looked like he was going to gut him. 

“You need to fucking explain before you ask that!” Kuzuryuu growled. Hinata bowed his head and whimpered. Pekoyama looked into the distance and hummed. 

“My kind’s way of courting is rather simple. We will follow the one we would like to become mates with and make a short, repetitive sound,” Pekoyama said. She let out a small noise, reminding Hinata of a meow. Hinata let out a soft noise, trying his best to imitate it. 

“A bit higher-pitched,” Pekoyama recommended. Hinata nodded and tried again. Pekoyama gave him a small nod. “That’s the way.”

Hinata hummed. He wasn’t sure if it would work on Komaeda, considering the disaster that was Sonia’s roar. However, this call was softer and may work better. 

“What about you, Kuzuryuu?” Hinata asked the squirrel. Kuzuryuu climbed onto Pekoyama’s head so he could look at Hinata without looking up. 

“Squirrels just find mates based on scent. It’s not hard,” Kuzuryuu said. Hinata tilted his head. Komaeda did seem to like his scent. Maybe he could try covering Komaeda in his scent. 

“Thank you both. I’ll do my best.”

“About fucking time you courted Komaeda.”

“Why does everyone know?!”

___________________

“Ibuki has succeeded!”

The loud voice made Hinata jump. Mioda was flying towards him, Tsumiki hopping along. The small bunny looked exhausted. 

“I-I’m sorry I’m such a slowpoke,” Tsumiki squealed. She already looked like she was about to cry. Hinata sat down, trying to appear less threatening. 

“Has Mioda explained everything to you?” Hinata asked. Tsumiki gave a timid nod. 

“B-But I don’t understand why you would need my help,” Tsumiki stuttered. Hinata puffed out his chest happily. Looks like someone didn’t know about his crush on Komaeda. “I-I mean Komaeda is f-fox. I-I don’t see how my tactics could h-help.”

Hinata collapsed on the ground, making Tsumiki squeal in horror. 

“I-I’m sorry Hinata! Th-This all my f-fault!” Tsumiki was very close to bursting into tears. Mioda ran up to her and covered her with her wing. 

“It’s not your fault, Tsumiki! Hinata is just shy,” Mioda comforted. The small bunny sniffled and leaned against Mioda’s wing. 

“I don’t know how foxes court each other. That’s why I’m asking around,” Hinata explained. Tsumiki tilted her head, her ears flopping with her. 

“F-From what I know, f-foxes court by grooming each other and playing,” Tsumiki said. 

“... Huh?” Hinata stared at the bunny in shock. There was no way that was the case. Komaeda and him had been doing that all this time. 

“I-I’m sorry, I’m probably wrong aren't I?” Tsumiki wailed. Mioda shot Hinata a glare, but it didn’t affect him. All he could think of was her words. 

_There’s no way. Absolutely no way._

“I-If it will help, th-then I can show you what we do,” Tsumiki mumbled. Hinata shook his head, trying to clear it. He nodded at the bunny. 

“W-Well, we perform a mating dance of sorts. Th-The male will chase the f-female and the f-female will turn around and hit him,” Tsumiki explained. 

“... hit?” Hinata was wondering why all the delicate-looking ones had such violent courting tactics. Tsumiki gave a timid nod and gently hit him to explain. 

Her paws were soft and didn’t cause any damage. So it was like a play fight. He could work with that. He could chase Komaeda until he slows down and play fight with him. 

“Thanks, Tsumiki. You were a big help,” Hinata thanked her and walked off. However, the only thing on his mind was what she said about foxes. 

_There’s no way. She must just be mistaken. Right?_

_____________________

Komaeda was walking around the enclosure when Hinata spotted him. His nose was lifted in the air and he could see the fox sniffing. Hinata wondered what he was looking for. 

The wolf followed Komaeda at a safe distance and let out the small sound that Pekoyama taught him. Komaeda’s ears twitched and he looked around in confusion. When he didn’t see anything, he continued walking. 

Hinata made the same sound again and this time Komaeda turned towards him, his ears twitching. Hinata’s heart started racing as Komaeda approached where he was. Did this mean the fox accepted his courting?

“Hinata? It was you making that noise?” Komaeda tilted his head when he found the wolf. Hinata sighed. Seems that one also didn’t work. “Hinata are you feeling okay? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday.”

“I-I’m fine. Sorry,” Hinata mumbled. Komaeda’s expression told Hinata that he wasn’t convinced, but he nodded and smiled at the wolf. 

“I was actually looking for you. Although, if you don’t want to spend time with trash like me, then I understand,” Komaeda said. Hinata huffed. He was sick of the fox acting like that. 

Hinata picked Komaeda up and carried him to their secret place. Hinata sighed when he was faced with the bushes that he would have to walk through to get to the flower field. He put Komaeda down and motioned for him to use the hole he dug. 

Once the fox disappeared into the earth, Hinata took a deep breath and pushed through the bushes. The twigs scraped at his fur, but other than that he got out fine. Komaeda was already rolling around in the flowers. 

Kuzuryuu’s tactic entered Hinata’s mind. Maybe he could convey his feelings by covering Komaeda with his scent. He walked over to the small fox and laid down next to him. 

Komaeda squealed happily and scurried into Hinata’s chest fur. The wolf felt his face heat up when the fox’s gentle grooming began. Tsumiki’s words echoed in his head but he tried to forget them. She must be wrong. 

Hinata laid his head down, effectively trapping Komaeda in his spot. Komaeda would be covered in Hinata’s scent. The little fox didn’t complain and instead nuzzled deeper into his fur. Hinata sighed, already knowing this tactic didn’t work. 

They had done this before and Komaeda acted the exact same way after. Hinata closed his eyes. All he wanted was for Komaeda to know how he felt. 

_Maybe he’s already told me how he feels._

Hinata shook the thought away. There was no way. Komaeda couldn’t have been courting him this entire time. 

Right? 

______________________

Komaeda was already in a playful mood when Hinata came back to his enclosure. The fox’s tail was wagging and he held the plush bone between his jaws. Hinata smiled at him. 

“H-How about I chase you?” Hinata suggested, thinking of Tsumiki’s tactic. Komaeda tilted his head but set the plush bone down and prepared himself. The little fox sprinted away and Hinata chased. 

He could hear Komaeda’s faint giggling as he gave chase. It didn’t take long for Hinata to catch up and roll the fox over. Komaeda’s giggling increased and Hinata leaned down to gently nip at him. 

Komaeda squealed in excitement as Hinata continued to nibble on his face. The wolf already felt flustered. If Komaeda was a fellow wolf what Hinata was doing would be obvious.

Komaeda’s purr started up when Hinata began to gently lick at his chest fur. Hinata was starting to lose hope in using the other’s tactics. He felt confused and didn’t know how to deal with his feelings for the fox. 

The thought of telling Komaeda made him want to curl up and hide. It was too embarrassing. Hinata stood up and Komaeda’s eyes followed him. 

Even if he wasn’t fully confident in the plan anymore, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. 

Hinata lifted his head and let out a howl. A howl he had never done before. It was much softer than his normal one. He tried to convey his feelings through it, his feeling of love for the little fox. 

Komaeda’s eyes were wide as he listened. His eyes never left Hinata and his ears were peeled as he listened. When Hinata stopped howling, he expected the normal praise Komaeda gave him. 

However, Komaeda looked dumbstruck. He didn’t say a word and just stared at Hinata. The wolf began to fidget in place, wondering if he did something wrong. Komaeda shook his head, but he still looked dumbstruck. 

“Wh-Why was that one different, Hinata?” Komaeda asked. Hinata gave the fox a lick on the head. 

“B-Because it’s for you,” Hinata mumbled. He felt embarrassment flood him as he said the words. Komaeda’s body stiffened up and he looked away. 

Hinata felt fear grip him. He must have done something wrong. He was about to apologize when Komaeda looked back at him. 

“Th-Thank you. It was very beautiful,” Komaeda whispered. The fox’s eyes were sincere and he looked at Hinata like he gave him the world. 

Hinata puffed out his chest proudly. It seemed he had managed something good. Komaeda had a soft look on his face that made Hinata sure that he understood. Seems like listening to the others wasn’t entirely a bad idea. 

He just needed that one extra push to get Komaeda to understand the full extent of his feelings. Hinata felt determination flood through him. He would surely make Komaeda his mate. 

He just needed to find a way to make his intentions completely obvious.


	28. Chapter 28

“Why must you bother me with your pointless drivel?”

Hinata sighed. He shouldn’t have expected anything else from Tanaka. The owl refused to talk about his courting tactics and instead seemed incredibly flustered. 

“Listen, I want to try your method on someone. I won't tell anyone it’s from you,” Hinata sighed. 

“So you plan to seduce the one of white?” Tanaka asked. Hinata groaned. He was getting tired of everyone knowing about his crush. “It is simple! Although it is no surprise that a fool like yourself wouldn’t know how to perform the ritual.”

“Just tell me,” Hinata sighed. 

“You simply call to them!” Tanaka exclaimed and let out a hoot. Hinata tilted his head. It was a pretty basic method, but it could work. The wolf equivalent would be barking. 

“Okay. I’ll try,” Hinata said with a nod. Tanaka was about to climb into his tree again before Hinata stopped him. “You should really talk to Souda.”

Tanaka immediately began to stutter, his devas fluttering around him as they sensed his clear distress. Hinata sighed. 

“Seriously. Souda will never admit it outright and you two are going to keep being awkward around each other until one of you admits your feelings,” Hinata said. Tanaka was covering himself with his wings, clearly embarrassed. 

Hinata couldn’t help feeling amused. He never thought he would be the one to give relationship advice. It’s not like he had a mate yet. 

“Well, I’m off. I still need to talk to Saionji and Koizumi,” Hinata said, walking away from Tanaka’s tree. The wolf smiled when he saw the owl fly away from his tree. 

______________________

“You could just tell him.”

Hinata’s ears flattened against his head. Koizumi was glaring at him, judging his ideas. Saionji was next to her, scoffing at him as usual. 

“I know I could. But I want to do this properly. I want to make sure he agrees to be my mate out of his own free will,” Hinata sighed. Koizumi rolled her eyes. 

“That fox has really low standards. You must be pretty terrible if you can’t even impress him,” Saionji sneered. Hinata growled, his fur on end. “I guess I can help you if you’re so desperate.”

Hinata was almost going to turn her down but he knew he should at least try. Saionji’s attitude completely contradicted her graceful appearance. The swan approached Hinata and strangely bowed her head.

“Bow back you cretin!” Saionji glared. Hinata scrambled to obey, trying to bend his neck in the way Saionji did. The swan laughed at him. “You look so stupid!”

“It’s not my fault! I don’t think my neck works like yours!” Hinata tried to defend himself. He felt ashamed that he wasn’t able to complete the ritual. Koizumi sighed and approached him. 

“Saionji’s neck is more flexible. If you want to try her technique, try naturally bowing your head,” the otter suggested. Hinata sighed and bowed his head. Koizumi nodded at him. “That’s better. Try doing that.”

Hinata nodded, glad that the otter stepped in to help. He was sure Saionji would’ve delighted in seeing him suffer for longer. He looked at Koizumi, waiting for her to explain her own tactic. Koizumi sighed. 

“Look, my tactic isn’t going to work for you. It has to do with swimming and I doubt wolves can do acrobatic moves underwater,” Koizumi sighed. Hinata huffed. “Why don’t you try giving him gifts?”

“Gifts?” Hinata tilted his head. It seemed like a good idea, but he didn’t know what to give the fox. There wasn’t anything unique he could give him. Koizumi seemed to pick up on his dilemma. 

“Try talking to Nanami. She should know what he likes and how to get it,” Koizumi suggested. Hinata brightened, his tail wagging. This might be the method he was looking for. 

“Thanks, Koizumi!” Hinata exclaimed as he bounded off. He heard Saionji complaining, but he didn’t care. He just needed to find Nanami.

______________________

“... Gifts for Komaeda?”

Hinata had awakened Nanami from one of her naps and she seemed extremely sluggish. She shook out her pelt and rubbed a paw over her face. 

“Yeah. I want to give him a gift, but I don’t know what to get him,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda seemed to have a liking for flowers, but Hinata didn’t know where to find any new flowers. “He seems to like those toys he has. Where do they come from? Do they grow somewhere?”

Nanami shook her head and let out a large yawn. She curled her tail over her front paws and looked at him. 

“Monomi gives them away,” Nanami explained. Hinata huffed. There was no way he could get them. “If you play with me, I can help you out.”

“What? Really?” Hinata immediately got up, his tail wagging. Nanami nodded lazily. 

“Mmm. How about you track me?” Nanami asked. Hinata nodded, eager to get the toy. He was sure Nanami only chose tracking so she could find somewhere to fall asleep, but he didn’t mind. 

He closed his eyes and let the cat have time to find a good spot. When he opened his eyes, she was nowhere to be found. He lifted his nose and began to sniff. 

Her trail was pretty obvious. Hinata kept his nose to the ground and followed. Suddenly he was struck with a strong scent. Nanami’s trail had led straight into a strong-smelling plant. 

Realization struck Hinata. She must have rolled in the plant to hide her scent. Hinata couldn’t help feeling impressed. 

“Hinata! What have you been doing?” A deep voice called out. Hinata looked up to see Nidai and Owari trotting towards him. Hinata smiled. He hadn’t talked to them about courting tactics since they were bound to be similar to his own. 

“I heard you finally got the balls to ask Komaeda out,” Owari said. Hinata felt his entire body heat up. Great. Everyone knew. 

“I’m looking for Nanami. I’m trying to track her,” Hinata explained. Owari hummed and lifted her nose. “It’s not that easy. She disguised her-,”

“What’re you talking about? Her trail is pretty clear,” Owari said. Hinata tilted his head. His nose was overwhelmed with the scent of the plant. 

“Owari has the best nose of any animal you’ll meet. You can trust her with this,” Nidai said. Hinata nodded and trotted after Owari who had her nose pressed to the ground. 

Owari suddenly stopped at a tree and pointed her nose up. Hinata looked up and spotted Nanami sleeping peacefully on a branch. Hinata smiled. 

“Thank you, guys. I’ll make it up to you somehow,” Hinata nodded to them. 

“Make it up to us by finally getting together with Komaeda,” Owari said as she scratched her face. Hinata blushed. He watched Nidai and Owari trot off together and then turned his attention towards the tree. 

He stood on his back legs and barked. Nanami startled awake and looked down at him. She let out a big yawn and then jumped out of the tree, landing on his back. 

“Good job… I think,” Nanami yawned again. Hinata smiled at the cat. “You’ve earned the toy. I’ll bring you one of his favorites to your enclosure tonight.”

“Thank you, Nanami,” Hinata said. Nanami nodded and jumped off his back. Hinata watched her trot off. By the scent in the air, he guessed that she was going to find Sonia. 

Hinata smiled and lifted his nose, trying to find a certain sweet scent. He still had two other methods to try, after all. 

______________________

It didn’t take him long to track the fox. Komaeda’s scent was distinctive in its sweetness so it was easy to find. The white fox was curled up in a clearing, his white pelt seeming to glow against the snow. 

Tanaka’s words came to mind. It was a simple method but it might work. Hinata took in a deep breath and barked. 

It didn’t work. 

The sudden sound made Komaeda squeal in fear, jumping up from his relaxed position. His fur was on end and he looked like he was about to run. Hinata quickly came out of hiding so he wouldn’t be scared. 

“S-Sorry Komaeda. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Hinata stammered. Komaeda’s fur began to relax and he smiled at Hinata. 

“Hinata! You scared me,” Komaeda stated as he trotted up to the wolf and rubbed against his leg. Hinata felt his body warm-up and he leaned down to lick Komaeda. 

The fox purred and pushed against him. Hinata sat down and hoped that this didn’t look too weird. He bowed his head. Komaeda tilted his head and got close enough to look into Hinata’s eyes. 

“Hinata are you feeling sick?” Komaeda asked, concern clear in his voice. Hinata sighed. He knew that wouldn’t work. 

“I-It’s nothing. Um I might be a bit late to the den tonight, but I will be there,” Hinata said. Komaeda tilted his head, clearly curious as to why but he didn’t ask. Instead, he nuzzled into Hinata’s fur and made himself comfortable. 

Hinata smiled. Komaeda’s body against him felt right. He buried his face into Komaeda’s soft fur and breathed in his sweet scent.

There wasn’t anywhere else he would rather be. 

______________________

When Monomi let him into his enclosure, he sat by the fence. 

He was looking around, impatient for Nanami to arrive. He felt like this method would have the highest chance of succeeding. He immediately shot up when he picked up Nanami’s scent. 

The cat leaped onto the fence and into the enclosure. A plush fish was grasped in her jaws and she set it on the ground in front of Hinata. 

“This was his favorite from when he lived inside as a pup. I think he still misses it,” Nanami said. Hinata eagerly picked up the fish, hearing the gentle squeak. 

He immediately took off towards their den. He knew Komaeda would be waiting patiently for him and the thought made him excited. He couldn’t wait to present the toy to him. 

As usual, Komaeda was sitting outside the den, his white fur standing out against the dark. He smiled when he saw Hinata approaching and then his eyes widened when he saw the toy in his jaws. 

“Hinata! Where did you get that?” Komaeda asked as he ran up to Hinata, sniffing at the toy. Hinata laid the fish on the ground in front of the fox and let him sniff it. 

“It’s for you. Nanami helped me get it. I wanted to give you a gift… to show you I care,” Hinata said, struggling to find the words. Komaeda looked at him, his eyes wide. 

“Hinata… all this time, have you been…” Komaeda trailed off. Hinata stiffened up. Komaeda had caught on. There was no turning back now. Komaeda looked from the toy to Hinata. 

“I… I don’t understand,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata opened his mouth to explain, but Komaeda stepped back, shaking his head. 

“I-I’m sorry Hinata. I… I need time to think. You shouldn’t settle for trash like me,” Komaeda walked backward, panic in his voice. Hinata opened his mouth to speak, but Komaeda took off running, leaving the toy behind. 

Hinata could only watch. He felt dread curl in his stomach until he realized that Komaeda specifically mentioned that he was trash. Hinata growled. Of course, that was it. 

Hinata looked down at the toy. Komaeda’s stories of his past flashed through his mind. He just needed to get Komaeda to understand that he deserves it. He deserves love. 

Hinata felt determination settle in his stomach. He would get Komaeda to accept himself. 

And maybe then they could finally be together.


End file.
